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MSSU  Alumni  Publication  Spring  2015 


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New  stadium  hono 
\  former  Lions  coa 


Academic  updates  Features 


Lion  sports  And 


contents 


Spring  2015 


A  TECH  CONNECTION 

Alumni  create  CIS  scholarship . 7-8 

FROM  OUR  HOUSE  TO  THE  WHITE  HOUSE 
Alumna  discovers  career  path  during 
presidential  race . 9-10 


CONTINUING  A  TRADITION 

MSSU  theatre  graduate  finds  her  role  ..  11-12 


THE  PEOPLE  THEY  BECAME 

Former  theatre  students  reunite . 13 

THE  CHART  HALL  OF  FAME 

Area  dedicated  for  Chart  honorees . 14 

TEAM  PLAYER 

Alumna  counts  her  blessings  caring  for 
children  with  special  needs . 15 

LIFETIME  OF  MEMORIES 

Couple  reflects  on  time  since  MSSC . 16 


ONCE  UPON  A  TIME 

For  a  president's  daughter,  campus  was  a 
fairy  tale  experience . 17-18 

RESIDENT  EXPERIENCE 

New  modern  residence  halls  promise 

convenient  living  for  students . 19-20 

WORK  ZONE 

Athletics  facility  nears  completion . 23-24 

BY  THE  NUMBERS 

Accounting  degree  leads  to  longtime  career 
in  the  trucking  industry . 25 

FOR  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  RUN 

Alumna  qualifies  for  the  Olympic  Trials  in 

marathon  run . 27-28 

Q&A 

A  study  abroad  experience  set  in  motion 
the  basis  for  a  career  in  Tanzania . 31 


A  REWARDING  VOCATION 

Alumnus  receives  state  education  award 


for  counseling . 32 

LION  TALES 

Instructor  finds  success  with  pizza . 37 

CAMPUS  NEWS 

Foundation  update . 5 

International  update . 6 

Lion  sports . 26-30 

Academic  updates . 33-36 

ClassNotes  &  Memoriam . 39-42 


on  the  cover 

Warren  Turner,  Missouri  Southern  head  baseball 
coach  from  1977-2007,  visited  campus  on  April 
18  when  the  field  at  the  new  baseball  stadium 
was  named  in  his  honor  during  the  dedication 
ceremony.  For  more,  please  turn  to  Page  21.  Cover 
illustration  by  Taylor  Kubicek,  ’15;  photo  by  Levi  Andrew,  ’16. 


PRESIDENT’S  CORNER 


Greetings, 

I  am  extremely  fortunate,  completely  humbled  and  very  proud  to  be  referred  to  as  the 
"leader"  of  Missouri  Southern  State  University. 

But,  there  is  a  basic  and  much  more  important  mission  I  hope  to  fulfill  for  faculty,  staff, 
students  and  alumni:  to  serve  as  the  "first  follower."  Perhaps  more  descriptively,  it's  a  com¬ 
mitment  to  empower  the  people  who  make  this  organization  so  great  by  standing  behind  them  with  rock- 
solid  support. 

I  am  reminded  of  this  fundamental  tenet  every  time  I  learn  of  an  employee  idea  that  will  clearly  make  a 
difference,  a  student  who  has  achieved  something  great,  and  at  each  commencement  when  I  look  into  the 
eyes  of  our  graduates  and  see  the  pride,  hope  and  optimism  that  launches  them  toward  such  a  bright  future. 

Missouri  Southern  is  an  amazing  place  for  me  to  follow  because  it  is  truly  becoming  a  highly  respected 
and  widely  recognized  leader. 

From  our  emerging  master's  degree  programs  and  new  academic  offerings  to  our  renewed  focus  on 
alumni  and  the  cohesiveness  of  our  mission,  I  see  progress  all  around.  We  are  always  working  to  offer  our 
students  more  and  to  anticipate  the  future  needs  of  the  university  and  region. 

Often,  I  have  heard,  "What  makes  Missouri  Southern  unique  and  what  will  distinguish  us  from  our  peers 
as  we  move  into  the  future?" 

Missouri  Southern  is  an  irreplaceable  force  in  the  Joplin  region.  It  is  constantly  refining  offerings  to  be 
centered  on  student  and  alumni  success.  While  we  proudly  preserve  our  history  and  legacy,  we  are  not  inter¬ 
ested  in  being  constrained  by  the  past. 

We  are  focused  on  moving  forward. 

So  what  do  we  need  to  do  now?  We  must  support  economic  development  by  continuing  to  create  pro¬ 
grams  needed  to  develop  the  talents  and  skills  of  current  and  future  employees.  We  must  build  on  our  base 
of  liberal  arts  to  develop  future  leaders  who  care  about  civic  engagement,  critical  thinking  and  individual  re¬ 
sponsibility  within  the  greater  context  of  community.  We  must  reinforce  and  expand  our  commitment  to  the 
international  component  of  our  mission  to  ensure  that  our  graduates  are  equipped  to  compete  in  an  intercon¬ 
nected  world.  We  must  create  a  campus  atmosphere  of  innovation  and  discovery. 

We  must  continue  to  insist  that  our  athletic  programs  are  competitive  and  produce  student-athletes  who 
are  as  successful  in  the  classroom  as  they  are  on  the  field  or  court.  We  must  build  deeper  connections  with 
our  constituents  and  patrons  —  for  they  make  opportunities  available  to  our  students  that  would  otherwise 
be  impossible  to  provide.  We  must  constantly  elevate  our  expectations  in  every  aspect  of  our  work. 

Following  with  Lion  Pride, 


Alan  Marble, '79,  Ph.D. 
MSSU  President 


crossroads  /spring 2015 


DIRECTOR’S  LETTER 


Dear  alumni  and  friends. 

What  a  great  day  to  be  a  LION!  It  seems 
like  we  were  saying,  texting  and  tweeting  that  ^ 
a  lot  this  spring.  The  Alumni  Association  was 
busy  this  past  year  with  exciting  events. 

Legacy  Day  featured  a  carnival  theme  for  children  of 
alumni.  For  the  17th  straight  year,  this  event  gave  our  lega¬ 
cies  a  chance  to  visit  Missouri  Southern  and  be  a  Lion. 

The  Christmas  season  began  with  our  first  Boutique 
Bonanza.  The  Ralph  L.  Gray  Alumni  Center  was  filled  with 
local  boutiques  offering  unique  gifts.  We  also  held  the  an¬ 
nual  Child  Development  Center  Christmas  party.  Children 
enjoyed  cookies  and  milk  with  Santa  and  made  fun  crafts. 

In  the  spring,  we  had  great  success  with  the  inaugural 
Southern  Social.  This  event  started  a  women's  circle  of  giv¬ 
ing,  which  included  a  prize  for  best  table  theme,  a  silent 
auction,  and  a  dinner  and  fashion  show.  Proceeds  benefit- 
ted  the  Alumni  Association  Scholarship  Fund. 

Dress  for  Success,  co-sponsored  by  Career  Services, 
helped  over  187  students  "shop"  for  gently  used  profes¬ 
sional  clothing  that  was  donated  by  alumni  and  friends  so 
our  students  could  be  prepared  for  the  business  world. 
Again,  let  me  say,  every  day  is  a  great  day  to  be  a  LION! 

In  Lion  Pride, 


MSSU 

L  §  a  isi  s 


Lee  Elliff  Pound,  '86, 
Alumni  Director 


AiMMwnni  Assacia-tian 

^  Oannaststian  Ftta*  Lira 

Lee  Elliff  Pound,  ’86  /  DIRECTOR 
Meagan  Adams,  ’08  /  COORDINATOR 

Dr.  Alan  Marble,  79  /  MSSU  PRESIDENT 
Dr.  Brad  Hudson,  ’91  /  MSSU 
EXECUTIVE  VICE  PRESIDENT  AND 
EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR  OF  MISSOURI 
SOUTHERN  FOUNDATION 

Keith  Adams,  ’49;  Keith  Aubele,  '86; 
Aaron  Baker,  ’04;  Brad  Beik;  Jean 
Campbell,  ’86;  Robert  Corn,  '78;  Ben 
Crowe,  ’08;  Linda  Dean,  ’78;  Bruce 
Fisher,  '80;  Cameo  Harrington,  ’97; 

Dr.  Michael  “Howie”  Howarth;  Mark 
Lloyd,  ’99;  Ivy  Love,  ’10;  Shally 
Lundien,  ’95  &  ’03;  Troy  Richards, 

'90;  Will  Roderique,  ’91;  Karen 
Sandridge,  ’79;  Lisa  Sweet,  '02  / 
BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS 

3950  East  Newman  Road  /Joplin,  MO 
64801  /  41 7-659-LION /Website  located 

at  www.mssu.edu/alumni  /  Send  emails 
I  to  AlumniAssoc@mssu.edu 

Rhonda  Ciark,  ’00  /  EDITOR 
Taylor  Kubicek,  ’15/ ART  DIRECTOR 
Jeremy  Jones,  ’15  /  ASSISTANT  EDITOR 
Levi  Andrew,  ’16;  Adelie  Campbell, 

’16;  Natalie  Cossey,  '16;  Bethany 
Courtney,  '16;  Molly  Greer,  '15;  Molly 
Schons,  ’15;  Kristen  Stacy,  ’16;  Aaron 
Weatherford,  ’16 /ASSOCIATE  EDITORS 

Curtis  Almeter,  '13;  Mike  Gullett  / 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Shaun  Buck,  ’ll;  Justin  Maskus;  Dr. 
Chad  Stebbins,  ’82;  Dr.  John  Tiede  / 

CONTRIBUTORS 

crossroads  magazine  is  the  official  alumni 
publication  of  the  Missouri  Southern  State 
University  Alumni  Association.  The  mission  is 
to  serve  its  readers  by  providing  information  of 
interest  about  the  University,  its  alumni  and  the 
Alumni  Association  and  by  acting  as  a  channel 
for  Missouri  Southern  alumni  as  a  “connection  for 
life"  with  the  University. 

crossroads  magazine  is  published  two  times  a 
year  by  the  Missouri  Southern  State  University  Alumni 
Association  and  the  Department  of  Communication.  It  is 
mailed  to  current  MSSU  Alumni  Association  members  and 
friends  of  the  University.  A  select  number  of  copies  are 
distributed  on  campus  each  semester. 

crossroads  is  written  and  designed  by  faculty, 
staff,  students  and  alumni.  The  views  expressed  do  not 
represent  the  student  body,  faculty,  staff,  administration 
or  Missouri  Southern  State  University. 


Copyright  ©  2015,  crossroads.  All  rights  reserved. 


3  crossroads  /spring2015 


EDITOR’S  NOTE 


>1 

Spring  2015  Staff  Members 


Levi 

Andrew,’ 16 

Mass  Communication 


Natalie 
Cossey,  ’16 

Mass  Communication 


Molly 
Greer,  ’15 

Public  Relations 


Taylor 

Kubicek,  ’15 

Graphic  Arts 


Adelie 

Campbell, ’16 

Public  Relations 


Bethany 
Courtney,  ’16 

Public  Relations 


Jeremy 
Jones,  '15 

Public  Relations 


Molly 

Schons,  ’15 

Public  Relations 


Greetings,  alumni  and  friends! 

This  is  a  bittersweet  issue  for  the  staff,  as 
we  prepare  for  new  and  exciting  changes. 

In  the  fall,  crossroads  will  transition  to 
University  Relations  and  Marketing.  While  we  are  sad 
to  see  the  magazine  leave  the  communication  depart¬ 
ment,  we  are  anxious  to  see  the  transformation  of  this 
award-winning  publication,  which  has  been  a  part  of 
Lion  history  since  1939. 

Students  have  once  again  generated  some  fabulous 
alumni  content  for  this  spring.  We  welcome  you  to 
enjoy  these  stories,  which  will  give  you  a  fresh  look  at 
what's  new  and  nostalgic  about  your  alma  mater. 

As  for  the  students,  they  have  a  new  project  for  fall, 
so  be  sure  to  stay  in  touch  for  this  new  publication.  The 
new  magazine  will  feature  fine  arts  and  entertainment, 
not  only  at  Missouri  Southern,  but  in  the  Joplin  area  as 
well. 

It's  been  a  pleasure  to  produce  your  alumni  magazine 
since  2009.  We  hope  you  have  enjoyed  it.  And,  it's  pro¬ 
vided  a  tremendous  learning  opportunity  for  students 
to  work  on  a  professional  publication. 


Kristen 
Stacy,  ’16 

Graphic  Arts 


Aaron 

Weatherford,  ’16 

Public  Relations 


V 


Find  us  online  at: 

www.mssu.edu/crossroads 

_ ! _ J 


All  the  best  to  you,  and  may  you  always  have  fond 
memories  of  your  time  as  a  Lion. 


Warm  regards. 


Rhonda  Clark,  '00, 

crossroads  Editor, 

Assistant  Professor,  Communication 


crossroads  / spring 20 15  4 


Charitable  giving  can  be  customized 


AS  individuals  consider  their  estate 

plans,  often  times  they  will  decide  to 
include  a  charitable  donation  as  part 
of  their  overall  plan.  Gifts  to  charities  have 
several  advantages  from 
an  estate  planning  perspec¬ 
tive.  First,  and  foremost,  is 
the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  a  donor  has  helped 
advance  a  worthwhile 
cause  that  is  meaningful  to 
them.  But,  in  addition,  a  gift  to  a  charity  will 
normally  reduce  the  amount  of  estate  tax,  if 
the  donor  is  subject  to  that  tax.  Also,  in  most 
instances,  a  charitable  gift  will  result  in  a  cur¬ 
rent  income  tax  deduction.  In  addition,  there 
are  three  types  of  charitable  gifts  which  allow 
the  donor  to  continue  to  benefit  during  their 
life  from  a  deferred  charitable  gift. 

The  charitable  gift  annuity  is  a  combination 
of  a  gift  to  charity  and  an  annuity.  For  senior 
persons,  annuity  rates  may  be  6-7  percent  or 
higher.  Since  part  of  the  annuity  payment  is 
tax-free  return  of  principal,  the  gift  annuity 
may  provide  the  donor  with  a  very  substantial 
income.  The  combination  of  partially  tax-free 
income  and  the  initial  charitable  deduction 
makes  this  agreement  quite  attractive. 

The  charitable  unitrust  is  a  special  trust 
that  pays  income  to  the  donor  and  /  or  family 
members.  After  all  of  the  income  payments 
have  been  completed,  the  remainder  is  distrib¬ 
uted  to  the  charity.  The  person  who  establishes 


the  trust  selects  the  unitrust  percentage  for 
payments,  the  persons  to  receive  the  income 
from  the  trust,  and  the  charity  to  receive  the 
principal  of  the  trust  after  all  income  pay¬ 
ments  are  completed.  The  major  benefits  of  the 
trust  are  bypass  of  capital  gains,  potential  for 
increased  income  and  a  charitable  income  tax 
deduction. 

If  a  person  owns  a  home  or  a  farm  and 
intends  to  continue  to  live  on  the  property 
for  life,  he  or  she  can  still  receive  substantial 
income  tax  savings.  The  tax  saving  is  accom¬ 
plished  through  a  life  estate  remainder.  The 
donor  retains  use  of  the  property  for  life  and 
deeds  the  remainder  interest  in  the  property 
to  the  charity,  which  will  own  the  property 
after  the  owner  passes.  The  life  estate  is  ac¬ 
complished  by  preparing  a  deed.  In  the  deed, 
the  owner  may  reserve  the  right  to  use  the 
property  for  one  or  two  lifetimes.  The  prop¬ 
erty  must  be  appraised  and  the  donor  will 
receive  a  current  income  tax  deduction  for  the 
present  value  of  the  remainder  interest  gifted 
to  the  charity. 

By  using  one  or  a  combination  of  the  three 
estate  planning  tools  listed  above,  a  donor 
may  achieve  multiple  advantages:  lifetime 
benefits,  tax  savings  (both  income  and  estate, 
if  applicable)  and  self-fulfillment  from  helping 
others.  Deferred  gifts  to  charity  can  truly  be  a 
win-win-win  situation. 

—  Dr.  John  Tiede, 
Former  Director  of  Major  Gifts  and  Planned  Giving 


The  donor  wall  is  on  the  third  floor  of  the  Billingsly  Student  Center  outside  the  Connor  Ballroom.  It  was 
dedicated  in  summer  2014  and  honors  both  the  Lantern  Society  and  Legacy  Society.  —  Photo  by  Ashley  Eriksen,  ’12 


INTERNATIONAL 


Brownes  share  their  love  of  travel 


When  Donna  Browne  turned  80, 

her  children  decided  to  recognize 
her  lifelong  passion  for  travel  and 
exploration  by  creating  an  endowed  award  for 
Missouri  Southern  students  to  study  abroad.  The 
Donna  Davis  Browne  Award 
for  Study  Abroad  provides 
a  $1,000  grant  every  year 
to  assist  an  MSSU  student 
spending  an  entire  semester 
in  another  country. 

''Mom  is  the  world's  best 
traveler,"  daughter  Becky  Browne  said.  "She 
reads  and  reads  and  makes  careful  plans  so  she 
can  enjoy  every  minute.  She  and  Dad  have  been 
to  more  than  50  countries." 

Leland  and  Donna  Browne  made  their 
first  trip  abroad  in  1966  to  England.  "That  trip 
clinched  it,"  Leland  says.  "We  fell  in  love  with 
travel."  The  Brownes  eventually  involved  the 
entire  family,  renting  a  house  in  Provence  in 
southeastern  France  for  a  month  and  later  a  villa 
in  Tuscany  in  central  Italy  for  a  month.  Donna's 
inspiration  came  from  her  parents,  who  were 
avid  travelers  and  even  sailed  around  the  world 
on  their  honeymoon. 

Their  favorite  countries  have  been  England, 
France,  Germany/ Austria,  India  and  Italy. 

Their  trips  often  have  a  theme,  such  as  music  or 
gardens.  One  year,  they  took  a  driving  tour  of  19 
magnificent  English  landscape  gardens.  Flong 
Kong  has  also  been  a  particular  favorite;  they 
have  enjoyed  noticing  how  the  city  has  changed 
over  the  years. 

"It  has  been  terrific  to  see  our  parents  also 
share  their  love  for  travel  abroad  with  their 
grandkids,"  said  son  Beau.  "It  has  opened 
their  minds  and  helped  them  mature  into  more 
worldly  young  men." 

Donna  and  Leland  grew  up  in  Kansas  City 
and  met  at  Southwest  High  School.  She's  a 
Mizzou  grad  (political  science);  his  alma  mater 
is  KU  (engineering).  They  married  in  1951  and 
shortly  thereafter  Leland  went  on  active  duty  as 
an  officer  with  the  U.S.  Navy  Seabees.  He  was 
stationed  in  Guam  during  the  Korean  War  and 
took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  visit  the 
Philippines,  Japan  and  Hong  Kong. 

After  the  war,  they  lived  in  Kansas  City  until 
1962,  when  they  moved  to  Joplin  so  that  Leland 
could  accept  an  opportunity  to  work  with  a  fra¬ 
ternity  brother,  J.R  Humphreys,  who  at  that  time 
was  the  general  manager  of  TAMKO.  During  his 
tenure  at  TAMKO,  Leland  was  instrumental  in 


the  development  and  construction  of  Freeman 
Hospital,  serving  as  its  CEO  and  chairman  of  the 
board  from  1972-76. 

Donna  founded  the  Double  Eagle  gift  shop  on 
Main  Street  in  Joplin  and  operated  it  for  22  years. 
Subsequent  to  Leland's  retirement  from  TAMKO 
as  its  executive  vice  president  in  1987,  he  and  his 
wife  intensified  their  activity  and  interest  in  inter¬ 
national  travel.  They  targeted  at  least  two  major 
overseas  trips  each  year,  traveling  on  their  own 
and  seldom  as  part  of  a  group  tour,  thereby  gain¬ 
ing  maximum  flexibility  in  timing  and  itinerary. 

Students  who  apply  for  the  Donna  Davis 
Browne  Award  for  Study  Abroad  are  asked  to 
interview  with  the  couple.  "We  love  meeting  the 
students,"  she  said.  "They  are  so  enthusiastic." 

In  December 
2014,  five  stu¬ 
dents  applied 
for  the  award. 

After  visiting 
with  each  one 
individually, 
the  Brownes  in¬ 
formed  me  that 
they  couldn't 
make  a  deci¬ 
sion.  I  suggest¬ 
ed  giving  each 
one  $200.  "We 
can  do  better 
than  that,"  Le¬ 
land  said.  They 
then  provided 
an  additional  $1,500,  so  that  each  student  would 
receive  a  $500  award. 

Such  generosity  is  not  uncommon  for  Leland 
and  Donna.  They  encourage  others  to  duplicate 
their  efforts  to  provide  additional  study  abroad 
scholarships  to  MSSU  students  who  spend  an  en¬ 
tire  semester  abroad.  If  you  are  interested,  please 
contact  me  at  stebbins-c@mssu.edu  . 

"The  award  is  a  good  match  for  our  mother's 
values  and  commitments  because  the  experience 
of  study  abroad  opens  hearts  and  minds  to  the 
vitality  and  value  of  life  in  other  places,"  said 
daughter  Kate  Browne,  a  professor  of  anthro¬ 
pology  at  Colorado  State  University.  "Studying 
abroad  can  nurture  a  lifelong  curiosity  about 
other  societies,  make  clear  the  value  of  cultural 
diversity,  and  enrich  the  understanding  of  our 
place  in  a  very  big  world." 

—  Dr.  Chad  Stebbins,  '82 
Director,  Institute  of  International  Studies 


Leland  and  Donna  Browne  have  travelled  extensively  and  recently^ 
established  an  endowment  to  help  Missouri  Southern  studd^ts 
experience  the  world.  —  Photo  by  Molly  Schons,  '15 


crossrpadalS^^^^"' 


R 

T6CH 

connECTion 


Alumni  give 

Many  college  students  set  goals  to 
graduate  and  get  on  with  life. 
They  want  to  continue  to  grow, 
and  two  recent  graduates  are  doing  just 
that. 

For  Stephen  Cole,  '08,  and  Alex  Vas- 
silev,  '07,  one  thing  was  obvious  —  their 
Missouri  Southern  education  was  valu¬ 
able,  but  it  was  the  real-world,  hands- 
on  training  outside  the  classroom  that 
sparked  interest  in  both  of  them. 

After  graduation,  these  alumni  pur¬ 
sued  careers  others  aspire  to  attain:  work¬ 
ing  for  two  top  tech  companies  —  eBay 
and  Google.  But  it  was  internships  they 
obtained  as  CIS  majors  at  Southern  that 
helped  them  land  jobs  with  the  popular 
tech  companies. 

After  an  internship  at  Southern,  Cole 
found  himself  ready  to  spend  the  summer 
of  2007  in  San  Jose,  California,  as  an  intern 
at  eBay. 

The  experience  was  a  blast,  and  after 
the  internship,  eBay  made  him  an  offer  for 
a  full-time  position,  provided  he  complete 
his  final  year  at  Southern  successfully. 
"Beyond  the  cool  Web  technology,  I 


back  with  CIS  scholarship. 


was  very  fortunate  to  work  for  and  along¬ 
side  great  people,"  said  Cole.  "My  bosses 
at  eBay  were  fantastic,  which  gave  me  an 
appreciation  for  leadership  and  a  desire  to 
try  my  hand  at  it." 

From  Southern,  Vassilev  went  to  work 
at  Google.  He  started  as  an  engineer  then 
moved  to  project  management.  He  loved 
the  fact  he  was  able  to  explore  different 
areas.  As  he  moved  within  Google,  he 
experienced  quite  a  bit  of  growth. 

"I  loved  the  20  percent  time  we  were 
given.  This  time  was  for  us  to  work  on 
anything  we  wanted.  It  allowed  me  to 
explore  areas  that  interested  me,"  Vassilev 
said. 

In  2011,  Cole  left  eBay  to  join  the 
leadership  team  of  a  cloud  computing 
startup  company.  He  focused  on  acceler¬ 
ated  learning  and  the  niche  of  technology 
in  cloud  computing.  This  gave  him  the 
potential  for  higher  monetary  return. 

"Whatever  the  issue  of  the  moment  is, 
you  just  have  to  dig  in  and  do  it  yourself, 
which  is  sometimes  painful  but  usually  re¬ 
sults  in  a  ton  of  good  learning,"  Cole  said. 

Vassilev  left  Google  to  attend  Harvard 


Business  School,  where  he  is  seeking  an 
MBA.  His  goal  is  to  continuously  im¬ 
prove. 

"You  realize  what  you  need  in  your 
professional  life.  There  are  so  many 
aspects  when  you  try  to  build  yourself 
as  a  leader  I  didn't  have,"  Vassilev  said. 
"Obviously,  the  MBA  is  what  I  want  to  do 
—  become  more  strategic  in  the  aspect  of 
technology." 

Their  success  led  these  two  computer 
information  science  graduates  to  partner 
up  and  give  back  to  their  alma  mater  by 
offering  scholarships  to  Southern  CIS 
majors. 

Cole  and  Vassilev  kept  in  touch  with 
their  former  instructor  Stephen  Schiavo, 
professor  of  computer  information  science 
in  Southern's  Plaster  School  of  Business. 
This  relationship  helped  them  sponsor 
the  Vassilev  /  Cole  CIS  Scholarship  for  CIS 
majors  at  Southern. 

"The  more  we  chatted  about  it,  the 
more  we  realized  it  was  something  we 
wanted  to  pursue,  "  Cole  said.  "We  made 
contact  with  MSSU  via  Professor  Schiavo 
and  got  things  rolling." 


crossroads  /spring2015 


Alex  Vassilev,  '07,  (left)  went  to  work  for  Google  after  he  graduated  with  a  CIS  degree.  After  several  years  with  the  company,  he  left  to  pursue 
an  MBA  at  Harvard  Business  School.  Stephen  Cole,  '08,  (right)  landed  a  job  with  eBay  after  he  completed  an  internship  in  2007.  Cole  left  eBay 
in  2011  to  join  the  leadership  team  of  a  cloud  computing  startup  company.  These  tivo  alums  established  the  VassileviCole  CIS  Scholarship  in 
2013  to  help  CIS  majors  at  Missouri  Southern.  —  Submitted  photos 


Schiavo  said  he  talks  to  students  about 
giving  back  to  their  alma  mater  some  day. 

"Fm  sure  Fm  not  the  only  professor 
who  encourages  students  to  make  a  con¬ 
tribution  to  their  field  and  to  their  com¬ 
munity/'  Schiavo  said.  "Perhaps  they're 
drawn  to  helping  others  achieve  what 
they  were  able  to  achieve." 

Students  applying  for  the  $2,000  schol¬ 
arship  must  complete  an  essay.  This  year's 
topic  was  "What  do  you  hope  to  achieve  in 
the  field  of  computer  information  science?" 

"We  recognized  how  important  sup¬ 
port  is  for  anyone  to  progress,"  Vassilev 
said.  "The  best  thing  we  could  think  of 
was  to  return  the  favor  to  students  who 
want  to  achieve  their  goals." 

Cole  and  Vassilev  established  the 
scholarship  in  2013,  and  the  number  of  es¬ 


says  submitted  this  year  was  higher. 

"It  makes  our  decision  more  difficult, 
but  it  makes  me  very  happy  because  we 
see  the  want  to  learn  and  achieve  more," 
Vassilev  said. 

Cole  chose  Southern  because  of  cost 
and  the  proximity  to  his  hometown,  Neo¬ 
sho,  Missouri.  During  his  time  on  cam¬ 
pus,  Cole  participated  in  an  internship  at 
Leggett  &  Platt  in  network  security. 

"I'd  recommend  every  CIS  student 
seriously  consider  an  internship,"  said 
Cole.  "No  matter  how  great  your  courses 
are,  nothing  beats  the  learning  of  being 
confronted  with  real-world  business  prob¬ 
lems  and  applying  technology  to  solve 
them." 

Vassilev  came  to  Southern  from  Bul¬ 
garia  "by  luck  and  referral."  A  friend  was 


attending  Southern  and  recommended  the 
university  based  on  faculty,  location  and 
education. 

"1  was  intrigued  by  the  Honors  Pro¬ 
gram.  It  provided  not  only  financial  sup¬ 
port  but  faculty  support,"  Vassilev  said. 

At  Southern,  he  took  not  only  classes 
in  CIS  but  also  management  courses  to 
raise  awareness  and  give  a  broader  view 
in  the  business  world. 

"Being  well-rounded  in  many  areas 
is  important  for  progress.  I  don't  think 
I  would  have  had  awareness  of  things 
outside  of  CIS  if  I  would  not  have  taken  the 
extra  classes,"  Vassilev  said.  "It  is  crucial  to 
explore  different  areas  to  find  your  passion. 
Until  you  find  the  thing  that  makes  you 
tick,  you  should  not  quit  looking." C 

—  Aaron  Weatherford,  T6 


recognized  how  important  support  is  for  anyone  to  progress.  The  best  thing  we 
could  think  of  was  to  return  the  favor  to  students  who  want  to  achieve  their  goals. 


crossroads  / spring 20 15  8 


From 

Our  House 

to  the 

white  House 

A  chance  encounter 
with  a  presidential  hopeful 
leads  to  a  career  assisting 
the  nation’s  highest  office. 


It  was  a  series  of  moments  of  being  in  the 
right  place  at  the  right  time.  As  a  coordi¬ 
nator  at  the  Olympic  Trials  from  2007-08, 
Emily  Dredd,  ’00,  took  the  opportunity  of  a 
lifetime  when  she  was  asked  one  question. 

It’s  not  every  day  a  future  president 
recruits  an  individual  who  eventually  ends 
up  working  at  the  White  House.  At  the  time, 
then- Senator  Barack  Obama  attended  a  track 
meet  in  Oregon.  After  meeting  Obama  and  his 
team,  Dredd  joined  the  crew  to  help  coordi¬ 
nate  a  series  of  events  in  Portland,  Oregon. 

“I  just  happened  to  be  there  in  that  moment 
for  this  one-month  explosion,”  said  Dredd. 
“Somewhere  along  the  way  he  said,  ‘Are  you 
on  my  team  now?’  I  said,  ‘Yes,’  and  then  1 
sold  my  condo  and  my  car  —  everything  — 
and  went  on  the  road  full  time.” 

Dredd ’s  career  took  off  in  2008  beginning 
with  the  Obama  presidential  campaign.  As  the 
White  House  advance  associate,  her  career 
eventually  brought  her  back  to  Joplin  and 
Missouri  Southern. 

7Te  dedication  of  the  rebuilt  Joplin  High 


^  EMILY  DREDD  - - 

Native  of  North  Carolina 
Majored  in  English  at  Missouri 
Southern 

Attended  Southern  on  an  athletic 
scholarship  for  cross  country 
and  track  and  field 
Spent  her  early  career  as  a  grant 
writer 

. 

School  on  October  3  involved  guest  speaker 
Vice  President  Joe  Biden.  Dredd  returned  to 
Joplin,  after  being  away  for  1 5  years,  to  assist 
with  coordinating  the  event.  Her  job  duties 
included  making  arrangements  for  events, 
whether  that  means  handling  the  media,  visu¬ 
als,  logistics  or,  in  this  case,  meeting  with  an 
eagle  handler  for  an  eagle  appearance  during 
the  dedication. 

“1  look  at  all  of  these  events  that  1  do  as 
a  dance,”  Dredd  said.  “You’ve  got  all  these 
players  with  difldrent  needs,  and  you’re  just 
trying  to  make  it  all  work  as  smoothly  as  you 
can.  1  love  that  part  of  it.  That’s  the  best,  when 


9  crossroads  J  spring 20 15 


you  can  see  the  whole  picture.” 


Not  only  did  Dredd  coordinate  the  event, 
she  visited  Southern.  She  said  the  trip  back 
to  her  university  was  emotional  as  she  visited 
her  instructors,  coaches  and  the  cross  country 
team  in  the  locker  room  where  she  used  to  sit. 

“It’s  great  to  reflect  on  where  a  lot  of 
things  started  for  me,”  Dredd  said. 

During  her  college  experience,  she  worked 
as  a  student  intern  at  the  Alumni  Associa¬ 
tion  alongside  Lee  Ell  iff  Pound,  ’86,  alumni 
director. 

“It  was  fantastic  having  her  back  on  cam¬ 
pus,”  said  Pound.  “We  always  consider  our 
students  as  a  part  of  the  family,  but  Emily  was 
one  of  those  that  you  had  that  special  mother- 
daughter  type  bond.  I  was  so  proud  to  be  able 
to  watch  her  in  action  at  the  ribbon  cutting 
ceremony.  She  looked  very  chic  and  profes¬ 
sional,  handling  all  the  issues.  It  was  a  very 
special  day  for  our  family.” 

In  addition  to  her  experience  as  a  student 
intern,  Dredd  spent  a  summer  studying  abroad 
in  Puebla,  Mexico.  Her  international  drive  has 


given  her  skills  and  experiences  that  continue 
to  make  a  difference,  even  after  college. 

‘The  experience  also  taught  me  how  to 
connect  with  people  even  when  there  is  a 
language  barrier,”  Dredd  said.  “In  my  current 
work,  I  work  abroad  frequently  and  have  a 
short  period  of  time  to  connect  and  coordinate 
political  and  historic  events.  I  know  my  early 
experiences  abroad  helped  shape  my  ability  to 
quickly  engage  with  new  cultures.” 

One  of  those  experiences  abroad  included 
an  emotional  and  memorable  trip  to  the 
Democratic  Republic  of  the  Congo. 

“I  feel  honored  and  lucky  every  trip,”' 
Dredd  said.  “I  look  at  every  trip,  no  mat¬ 
ter  where  I  am,  as  an  opportunity  to  learn 
something  new  and  meet  someone.  I  feel  like  I 
return  home  a  more  whole  and  vibrant  person 
with  a  better  understanding  of  how  I  fit  into 
the  global  puzzle.” 

During  Dredd’s  time  as  the  White  House 
advance  associate,  she  met  her  husband  on  the 
metro  in  Washington,  D.C.  He  also  worked 
at  the  White  House,  although  they  had  never 
met. 

“It  was  a  late  train,  so  we  were  all  standing 
on  the  platform,”  Dredd  said.  “He  said  he 
liked  my  boots.  And  that  was  it.” 

They  were  mamed  in  2012  by  Archbishop 
Desmond  Tutu  in  Hawaii  on  the  Island  of 
Oahu  at  St.  Andrew's  Episcopal  Church. 

Dredd  and  her  husband  live  in  Santa 
Monica,  California,  where  Dredd  began  her 
own  business  that  includes  wellness  consult¬ 
ing  for  leaders  and  businesses. 

As  these  series  of  events  played  out,  Dredd 
began  to  see  her  life  as  a  whole  picture. 

“I  feel  Tve  done  so  many  things  in  the 
last  1 5  years  —  academically,  athletically, 
personally,”  Dredd  said.  “I  can  see  where  all 
those  things  have  tied  into  what  I’m  doing.  It 
makes  sense.” 

—  Molly  Greer,  '15 


Far  left,  Emily  Dredd,  '00,  prepares  the 
stage  for  Vice  President  Joe  Biden's  speech 
on  October  3  at  the  dedication  for  the 
rebuilt  Joplin  High  School,  which  was 
destroyed  in  the  May  22, 2011,  tornado. 
Above,  Dredd  talks  with  fellow  coworkers 
in  preparation  for  Biden's  appearance.  Left, 
Biden  welcomes  students,  staff  and  the 
community  to  the  re-opened  high  school.  At 
the  end  of  his  speech,  Biden  put  on  a  Joplin 
High  School  baseball  cap  in  celebration  of 
the  community  and  its  accomplishments 
since  the  tornado,  which  destroyed  one-third 
of  Joplin.  Below,  at  the  re-opening,  a  record 
for  the  world's  longest  ribbon  cutting  was 
set.  The  6.5-mile  ribbon  was  adorned  with 
the  phrase  "Mission  Accomplished"  as  a 
celebration  for  the  school  being  completed. 
The  length  symbolized  the  area  the  tornado 
stayed  on  the  ground  in  the  Joplin  area. 

—  Photos  by  Molly  Schons,  ’15 


crassraBds  / spring 2015  10 


Ashley  Trotnic,  '12,  directs  students  at  Joplin  High  School  as  they  prepare  for  the  spring  2015  production  of  Legally  Blonde  -  Photo  by  Molly  Schons,  15 
1 1  crossroads  / spring 20 15 


Continuing 

a  tradition 

Former  Joplin  student  has  chance  to  return 
and  share  her  passion  for  high  school  theatre. 


One  diploma  and  one  degree  later, 
Ashley  Trotnic,  '12,  fulfilled  her 
dream  —  becoming  the  Joplin 
High  School  theatre  teacher. 

As  a  Joplin  High  School  student,  Trot¬ 
nic  found  a  passion  for  theatre.  She  was 
the  costume  chief  for  the  theatre  depart¬ 
ment  in  2006,  and  Trotnic's  crew  was  hav¬ 
ing  trouble  finding  an  elaborate  Victorian 
ball  gown  in  the  right  size  to  rent  for  their 
production  of  Hello,  Dolly! 

With  only  a  couple  of  weeks  left  before 
opening  night,  Trotnic  constructed  the 
dress  herself.  With  the  rest  of  the  costumes 
needing  to  be  finished,  then-Joplin  theatre 
director  Bonnie  "BC"  Schurman  admitted 
her  concern  about  the  situation. 

"I  was  a  little  nervous  about  it  be¬ 
cause  she  had  just  started  taking  sewing 
classes,"  Schurman  said.  "But  a  couple 
days  before  we  opened,  Dolly  Levi  came 
down  the  stairs  in  'that  dress.'  It  took  my 
breath  away.  It  was  absolutely  perfect  and 
completely  created  by  Ashley.  I  was  so 
proud  of  her." 

Trotnic,  Joplin  High  School  and  Mis¬ 
souri  Southern  alum,  took  the  place  of  her 
mentor  and  is  in  her  second  year  of  teach¬ 
ing  theatre  for  Joplin.  After  graduating 
with  the  Joplin  class  of  2007,  she  pursued 
a  passion  and  began  a  degree  in  theatre 
education  at  Southern. 

"I  only  wanted  to  be  a  theatre  teacher 
here  (at  Joplin  High  School)  because  I  felt 
more  of  a  connection,"  said  Trotnic. 

After  discovering  the  theatre  posi- 


ASHLEY  TROTNIC  FAVORITES 

Playwright 

Lillian  Heilman 

Play  she  performed  in 

Communion,  written  by  Tim  Klein, 

MSSU  professor  of  theatre 

Roles  performed  at  JHS 

Anne  Frank  in  The  Diary  of  Anne 
Frank  and  Mrs.  Meers  in 
Thoroughly  Modern  Millie 

_ J 

tion  at  Joplin  wouldn't  be  open  for  a  few 
more  years,  she  soon  switch,ed  to  a  theatre 
performance  degree  at  Southern.  In  2013, 
the  position  for  the  Joplin  theatre  teacher 
opened,  and  Trotnic  jumped  into  the  new 
role.  In  order  to  begin  teaching  immedi¬ 
ately,  Trotnic  began  the  Master  of  Arts 
in  Teaching  through  the  collaboration  of 
Southern  and  Missouri  State  University. 
She  received  a  Master  of  Education  in 
spring  2015. 

Schurman  compelled  Trotnic  to  con¬ 
tinue  theatre  traditions  from  her  experi¬ 
ence  at  Joplin.  With  further  knowledge 
and  training  in  the  theatre  department  at 
Southern,  Trotnic  was  able  to  find  motiva¬ 
tion  to  continue  to  spark  passion  in  the 
youth  of  the  Joplin  community. 

"BC  really  changed  my  life,"  said  Trot¬ 
nic.  "She  inspired  me,  and  I  wanted  to  be 
able  to  do  that  for  other  students.  I  wanted 
to  make  sure  the  theatre  department  here 


was  the  way  it  was  when  I  was  in  high 
school  and  that  everybody  was  having  the 
same  opportunities." 

Schurman  believes  Trotnic  is  the  per¬ 
fect  fit  for  the  position. 

"The  thing  that  truly  divides  Ashley 
from  others  is  her  passion,"  Schurman 
said.  "She  loves  theatre,  all  aspects  of 
theatre.  And  that  passion  for  her  area  will 
be  shared  with  her  students.  A  teacher  can 
learn  everything  there  is  to  learn  about 
their  subject,  but  you  can't  teach  passion. 
And  Ashley  has  that  special  gift." 

Trotnic  has  enjoyed  her  experience  as 
the  JHS  theatre  teacher  through  witness¬ 
ing  the  diligent  work  of  her  students  on 
stage  and  backstage.  She  is  living  her 
dream  and  inspiring  young  individuals 
the  way  she  was  inspired  as  a  student  in 
high  school. 

"Ashley  understands  the  rich  tradition 
of  JHS  theatre  because  she  was  part  of  cre¬ 
ating  that  tradition,"  Schurman  said.  "The 
most  important  thing  that  will  help  her 
succeed  is  she  understands  how  important 
theatre  is  to  theatre  kids.  She  understands 
how  they  become  'one  big  family'  She  un¬ 
derstands  how  they  gain  self-confidence 
and  find  purpose  through  theatre.  She  un¬ 
derstands  how  theatre  provides  focus  and 
motivation  for  students  who  may  not  have 
found  themselves  yet.  She  understands 
because  she  was  one  of  those  students 
who  got  involved  in  theatre  for  the  fun 
and  ended  up  finding  their  passion."  C 

—  Molly  Greer,  T5 


crossroads  !  spring  20 15  1 2 


it-ril-.V-':''?=v 

'\'r/  <•  "t''"'  ^  i  '  r  ' 


j«i^l 


i 


«;>t  ^^‘V^'v.T.■;^_J,^,^  w*.>- 
'-  w'^'V'.-' 


^i^Gkel  Stanley/05^  and  Jimmy  Norkga/W,  reunite 
.  at  the  MiBsdufi  Southern  theatre  Department  reunion 
.  '  dinner  on.  October  1 2014:  Photo  by  ivfofty  Greer  is  '  '■  * 


The  people 


they  became 


Old  friends  gather  to  reminisce 
&  create  new  theatre  memories. 


It  was  the  motivation  of  working  alongside  a  friend  that 
drove  her  to  accept  an  invitation.  After  declining  a  re¬ 
quest  from  Dr.  Jim  Lile,  chair  of  the  Missouri  Southern 
Theatre  Department,  Rachel  Stanley,  '05,  agreed  to  offer  a 
short  reading  at  the  theatre  reunion  dinner  on  October  4, 
2014. 

Stanley's  friend  from  college,  Jimmy  Noriega,  '05,  told 
Stanley  he  would  attend  and  they  could  perform  some¬ 
thing  from  the  past. 

"The  idea  of  this  was  so  exciting,"  Stanley  told  the 
reunion  group,  seconds  before  her  performance.  "And  then 
Jimmy  said,  'No,  1  can't.'  So  1  said,  'OK.  I'll  figure  some¬ 
thing  out.'" 

Laughter  filled  the  room  as  Stanley  turned  to  Noriega. 
"And  look  who's  here,"  she  said. 

Stanley  began  to  describe  the  piece  while  bringing  the 
alumni  back  —  back  where  they  performed  together,  where 
memories  were  created.  She  stopped  as  her  voice  cracked, 
faulting  her  emotions  on  a  chemical  reaction  that  couldn't 
be  helped. 

"I  think  it's  the  ticket  to  describe  how  we  feel  about  the 
people  that  we  became  while  we  were  here,"  Stanley  said. 

The  audience  was  reserved  and  then  responded  with 
applause  as  Stanley  finished  her  short  reading  from  the 
movie  Sideways. 

The  reunion,  sponsored  by  the  Missouri  Southern 
Alumni  Association,  gave  former  students  an  opportunity 
to  return  to  campus  and  catch  up  with  classmates  and 
faculty. 

"Mostly  it's  about  dinner  and  reminiscing,"  said  Lile. 
"We  just  haven't  seen  each  other  in  a  while,  and  it  was  a 
good  chance  to  get  together,  have  some  memories  and  tell 
some  stories." 

After  receiving  her  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  Theatre,  Stanley 
attended  graduate  school  at  the  University  of  Missouri- 
Kansas  City,  where  she  received  a  Master  of  Arts  in  Theatre 
History.  She  is  Southern's  assistant  director  of  the  Honors 
Program. 

Noriega  attended  Cornell  after  Southern,  where  he 
received  his  master's  and  Ph.D.  in  theatre.  He  teaches  and 
directs  theatre  at  the  College  of  Wooster  in  Ohio.  Noriega 
has  worked  on  30  plays  since  his  time  at  Southern. 

"One  of  my  favorite  things  is  that  I  was  allowed  to  di¬ 
rect  my  own  plays  here,"  Noriega  said.  "So  it  gave  me  the 
confidence  to  be  able  to  do  that  after  I  left." 

Experiences  at  Southern  gave  students  lasting  skills 
and  is  one  reason  the  reunion  was  special  for  alumni.  Jade 
Nicholas,  '09,  enjoyed  seeing  old  friends. 

"I  had  it  on  my  calendar  for  like  two  months,  so  I  was 
excited  about  it,"  said  Nicholas.  "My  favorite  part  is  that 
you  get  that  awesome  community  and  close-knit  family."  C 

—  Molly  Greer,  T5 


13  croBsroBtis  /spring 20 15 


Campus  dedicates  The  Chart  Hall  of  Fame  area. 


When  Richard  Massa  cut  the  rib¬ 
bon  to  dedicate  The  Chart  Hall 
of  Fame  on  November  21,  the 
student  newspaper  also  celebrated  its  75th 
anniversary. 

Members  of  the  Board  of  Governors 
at  Missouri  Southern  State  University  at¬ 
tended  the  ceremony  in  the  newly  decorat¬ 
ed  atrium  on  the  third  floor  of  Webster  Hall 
at  the  conclusion  of  their  regular  meeting. 
Current  and  former  staff  members  were 
also  in  attendance. 

Massa,  who  served  as  adviser  to  The 
Chart  from  1972-84  and  also  established  the 
department  of  communication  in  1980,  pur¬ 
chased  several  plaques  and  new  furnish¬ 
ings  for  the  hall  of  fame  area  that  serves  as 
a  student  lounge.  A  display  case  features 
Chart  memorabilia,  including  Kenneth  Mc- 
Caleb's  typewriter  that  may  have  been  used 
to  produce  the  first  issue  of  The  Chart  at  Jop¬ 
lin  Junior  College  on  November  10, 1939. 


Rick  Rogers,  '98,  editor-in-chief  of  The 
Chart  in  1996-97,  flew  in  from  Dallas  for 
the  dedication.  He  spoke  about  how  the 
newspaper  impacted  the  lives  of  so  many 
of  its  students. 

"It  is  a  wonderful  tribute  to  the  men  and 
women  who  worked  on  The  Chart,  to  now 
have  a  place  where  their  achieve¬ 
ments  can  be  honored  and  seen  by 
the  faculty  and  students  in  Webster 
Hall,"  said  Rogers,  regional 
general  manager  for  GateHouse 
Media  Southwest.  "It  is  the 
hope  of  The  Chart  alumni 
that  the  current  and  future 
students  of  MSSU  will  be  inspired  by  the 
history  and  achievement  of  The  Chart  and 
be  encouraged  to  sign  up  to  work  on  the 
staff  and  start  an  exciting  career  in  journal¬ 
ism." 

Dr.  Chad  Stebbins,  Chart  adviser  from 
1984-99,  gave  a  history  of  the  newspaper 


and  some  of  the  more  famous  editors  from 
the  past  75  years  at  the  Board  of  Governors 
meeting.  He  said  Chart  alumni  included 
Ron  Martin  (1956-57),  who  went  on  to  be¬ 
come  the  executive  editor  of  USA  Today  and 
the  Atlanta  Journal-Constitution,  and  Pam 
Johnson  (1965-67),  who  later  was  managing 
editor  of  The  Arizona  Republic  and  The 
Phoenix  Gazette. 

The  Chart  Hall  of  Fame  in¬ 
ducted  four  members  into  its  in¬ 
augural  class  in  2012:  McCaleb, 
who  founded  and  named  the 
newspaper;  Cleetis  Headlee, 
adviser  from  1948-67;  Jack 
Brannan,  sports  editor  in  1953-54  who  went 
on  to  a  long  career  with  United  Press  Inter¬ 
national;  and  Massa. 

A  new  class  will  be  inducted  in  the  fall 
of  2017,  in  conjunction  with  a  Chart  reunion 
and  MSSU  homecoming. 

—  From  staff  reports 


HAltF 

F  A  M  1  ^ 


Top,  Richard  Massa,  former  adviser 
to  The  Chart  and  member  of  the 
Hall  of  Fame,  addresses  those  in 
attendance  at  the  dedication  on 
November  21  in  Webster  Hall. 

Left,  Kelly  Wilson,  '83,  Missouri 
Southern  director  of  ACTS  and 
former  member  of  The  Chart,  talks 
with  Massa  after  the  dedication 
ceremony.  Right,  Rick  Rogers, 

'98,  former  editor  of  The  Chart, 
talks  about  the  importance  of  the 
publication  to  students.  —  Photos  by 
Kjersti  McDonald,  15,  and  Curtis  Almeter,  13 


crossroads  /spring 2015  14 


Kelly  O'Toole,  '08,  sits  with  an  8-year-old  client  in  February  at 
Children's  Therapy  TEAM,  in  Fayetteville,  Arkansas. —Suhmwxe6  photo 


Children  with  special  needs 

help  alumna  to  focus  on  life’s  blessings. 


It  is  often  said  that  working  with  kids 
with  disabilities  takes  a  special  person, 
and  Kelly  O'Toole,  '08,  is  one  of  those 
people.  O'Toole  works  for  the  Children's 
Therapy  TE.A.M.  in  Fayetteville,  Arkansas. 
This  program  provides  care  for  children 
with  special  needs  in  the  form  of  physical, 
occupational,  speech  and  developmental 
therapy. 

"My  job  looks  different  each  day,  de¬ 
pending  on  which  kids  I  see  and  what  they 
are  working  on,"  O'Toole  said.  "I  treat  kids 
with  a  variety  of  diagnoses  such  as  Down 
syndrome,  cerebral  palsy,  premature  birth, 
autism,  other  medical  diagnoses,  and  kids 
with  general  developmental  delays.  We 
work  on  skills  that  will  improve  success  and 
independence  with  daily  life  activities." 

O'Toole,  who  graduated  with  a  bach¬ 
elor's  in  health  promotion  and  wellness, 
became  interested  in  occupational  therapy 
and  working  with  students  with  disabilities 
during  the  summer  before  her  final  year  as  a 
student  at  Missouri  Southern.  She  worked  at 
a  day  camp  for  children  with  disabilities. 

"They  were  so  much  fun  to  be  around," 
O'Toole  said.  "They  showed  me  what  perse¬ 
verance  and  a  positive  attitude  can  do." 

She  continued  her  education  at  Rock- 
hurst  University  and  earned  a  master's  in 


occupational  therapy  in  2011. 

At  Southern,  O'Toole  was  a  member  of 
the  women's  cross  country  and  track  and 
field  teams. 

"She  was  a  young  lady  of  outstanding 
character  and  a  great  leader  and  always 
foimd  a  way  to  support  and  lead  the  team 
even  when  she  was  hurt  and  unable  to  com¬ 
pete,"  said  Patty  Vavra,  '80,  cross  country  / 
track  and  field  head  coach. 

O'Toole  graduated  at  the  top  of  her  class 
and  was  part  of  the  triple  crown  2007  cross 
country  and  2008  track  and  field  champi¬ 
onship  teams.  While  a  student,  O'Toole 
enjoyed  volunteering  with  the  Special 
Olympics  for  bowling  and  track  and  field 
events.  She  also  worked  with  the  Boys  and 
Girls  Club  of  Southwest  Missouri  at  Christ¬ 
mastime,  and  her  work  with  a  child  for  her 
Adapted  PE  class  also  helped  influence  a 
desire  to  work  with  kids  with  disabilities. 
During  her  internship  with  the  former  St. 
John's  Regional  Medical  Center,  she  worked 
with  children  who  had  various  illnesses  and 
disabilities,  which  influenced  her  occupa¬ 
tional  therapy  career  path. 

"I  love  feeling  like  I  am  making  a  posi¬ 
tive  difference  in  someone's  life,"  O'Toole 
said.  "It  is  hard  to  express  how  great  it  is 
to  see  a  child  make  progress  in  an  area  that 


they  have  been  struggling  with;  I  benefit  so 
much  from  my  kids.  Their  resilience  and 
strength  are  sometimes  contagious,  and  they 
make  me  laugh  every  day." 

Children's  Therapy  TE.A.M.  has  a 
program  titled  TEAMworks  International. 
Through  this  program,  participants  take 
three  to  five  trips  a  year  to  Guatemala  and 
Ukraine  to  assist  children  with  special 
needs.  They  take  equipment  and  educa¬ 
tional  materials  to  train  the  families  and 
caretakers  of  orphanages  so  they  can  learn 
how  to  care  for  the  children  and  give  them  a 
better  quality  of  life. 

O'Toole  is  on  the  community  outreach 
board  at  Children's  Therapy  TE.A.M.  This 
initiative  has  developed  a  volunteer  incen¬ 
tive  program  to  recognize  employees  for 
extra  work  they  do  in  the  community,  while 
encouraging  them  to  volunteer  and  help 
more  children  in  the  northwest  Arkansas 
area. 

"They  give  me  strength  and  hope,"  said 
O'Toole  of  the  children  she  helps.  "They 
have  made  me  count  my  blessings.  It  is  hard 
to  dwell  on  the  petty  things  in  life  or  give  up 
on  something  difficult  when  you  work  with 
children  who  have  overcome  so  much  more 
adversity  in  their  life  than  most  adults."  C 

—  Whitney  Hardy,  ’14 


15  crossroads  /spring 2015 


Mary  Kay,  '71,  and  Craig,  '69  and  '77,  met  while  they  were  students  on  what  was  then  the 
new  campus  of  Missouri  Southern  State  College.  Craig,  who  studied  business,  says  most  of 
his  classes  were  in  Hearnes  Hall.  —  Photo  by  Kristen  Stacey 


Lifetime  of  memories 

They  met  as  students  and  common  interests  filled  the  years. 


Sometimes  a  relationship  can  blos¬ 
som  from  a  surprising  situation. 
Craig  Gold  and  Mary  Kay  Herb  first 
caught  each  other's  eye  when  Craig  went 
on  a  blind  double  date  with  one  of  Mary 
Kay's  friends. 

Craig  and  Mary  Kay  soon  became  a 
couple  and  got  engaged  in  1969.  The  Golds' 
marriage  has  consisted  of  travel,  business, 
development  of  houses  and  happiness. 

Their  common  interests  have  allowed  them 
to  experience  the  world,  and  their  schooling 
at  Missouri  Southern  helped  them  impact 
the  lives  of  many  students. 

Craig  Gold,  '69  and  '77,  graduated  with 
a  general  business  degree  as  part  of  the  first 
Missouri  Southern  State  College  graduating 
class  in  1969.  Later,  he  returned  to  Southern 
and  received  a  bachelor's  in  education. 

He  enjoyed  his  time  as  a  Lion. 

"The  classes  at  Southern  were  a  lot 
smaller  and  the  professors  were  very  good 
in  the  business  department,"  Craig  said. 

"As  I  later  became  a  business  teacher,  I  truly 
believe  I  was  able  to  utilize  much  of  my 
education  as  a  result  of  what  1  learned  from 
the  classes  at  Southern." 

He  continued  his  schooling  at  Pittsburg 
State  University  and  received  a  master's  in 
vocational  education  in  1987.  Craig  taught 
business  for  many  years  at  Galena  (Kansas) 


High  School,  alongside  his  wife.  He  also 
taught  for  Labette  Community  College  for 
several  years. 

Mary  Kay  was  a  member  of  the  Delta 
Phi  Delta  Chapter  at  Southern.  She  received 
a  bachelor's  in  business  education  with  a 
minor  in  language  arts  in  1971,  graduat¬ 
ing  magna  cum  laude.  In  1979,  Mary  Kay 
earned  her  master's  in  vocational  education 
at  PSU.  She  taught  business  at  Galena  High 
School  and  did  credit  management  for  pro¬ 
fessional  and  retail  organizations. 

During  their  teaching  careers,  the  couple 
used  their  skills  in  business  to  begin  their 
design  and  development  of  homes.  They 
purchased  residential  lots  and  super¬ 
vised  contractors  to  construct  homes  that 
implemented  their  floor  plans  and  decor. 
Together  they  created  and  sold  over  65 
large-scale  homes  in  the  Joplin  area. 

"My  husband  and  I  were  fortunate  to 
become  involved  in  housing  projects  and 
there  is  no  question  as  to  how  many  times 
we  relied  on  our  office  procedures,  business 
management,  advertising,  accounting  and 
business  communication  classes  to  design, 
advertise  and  sell  over  65  houses,"  said 
Mary  Kay. 

Craig  said  they  also  discovered  some¬ 
thing  else  from  those  business  classes. 

"Probably  the  most  important  things  I 


learned  from  Missouri  Southern  were  not 
just  the  business  procedures  and  tech¬ 
niques,  but  also  the  practical  application  of 
utilizing  what  was  learned  and  applying  it 
in  real  business  situations"  said  Craig. 

The  Golds  have  always  been  able  to 
share  their  common  interests  with  each 
other.  They  believe  their  greatest  accom¬ 
plishment  and  joy  has  been  their  four 
children,  two  of  whom  chose  Southern  for 
their  bachelor's  degrees  before  completing 
master's  degrees  at  Missouri  State  Univer¬ 
sity.  The  Golds  continue  to  attend  many 
Southern  events  with  their  children  and 
grandchildren. 

The  Golds  possess  a  strong  love  for 
traveling.  Together,  they  have  traveled  to 
more  than  30  different  countries.  China  and 
Greece  are  two  of  the  favorite  locations  they 
have  visited. 

A  study  abroad  program  wasn't  avail¬ 
able  when  they  attended  Southern.  The 
couple  said  opportunities  for  students  to 
see  the  world  are  a  wonderful  addition  and 
something  they  would  have  loved  to  do 
when  they  were  in  college. 

"When  my  husband  and  I  were  stu¬ 
dents,  there  were  no  programs  for  travel 
being  offered.  We  would  have  enjoyed  that 
opportunity,"  said  Mary  Kay.  C 

—  Bethany  Courtney,  T5 


crossroads  / spring 20 15  16 


Once  upon 
a  time ... 

Storybook  childhood  instills 
sense  of  giving  back. 


Memories  can  last  a  lifetime,  and 

for  Connie  Billingsly  Godwin, ’74, 
some  of  her  favorite  memories  as  a 
child  include  exploring  the  Mission  Hills  Estate, 
which  later  became  the  Missouri  Southern  State 
College  and  now  MSSU  campus. 

From  days  spent  at  the  old  Barn  Theatre  silo 
to  collecting  pinecones  behind  the  mansion,  she 
viewed  the  land  that  would  become  the  campus 
as  her  playground.  She  often  filled  her  time  by 
swimming  in  the  pond  and  taking  walks  behind 
Juanita  Wallower’s  mansion. 

“I  felt  like  I  lived  a  fairy-tale  childhood  play¬ 
ing  on  the  Mission  Hills  Estate,”  she  said. 

Growing  up,  Godwin  saw  firsthand  the  pas¬ 
sion  and  dedication  her  parents  put  into  cultivat¬ 
ing  the  college. 

Her  father,  the  late  Dr.  Leon  C.  Billingsly, 
was  the  first  president  at  Missouri  Southern 
State  College  from  1964-78,  after  serving  as 
dean  and  then  president  of  Joplin  Junior  College 
beginning  in  1961.  The  late  Sue  Billingsly,  her 
mother,  was  the  first  director  of  the  Missouri 
Southern  Foundation,  serving  from  1979-99. 

Several  years  after  her  father  died  in  1978, 
Godwin  and  her  mother  discussed  the  idea  of 
creating  an  endowed  scholarship  to  honor  his 
legacy.  In  November  2013,  her  mother  passed. 
Last  fall,  the  first  Leon  and  Sue  Billingsly  Me¬ 
morial  Scholarship  was  awarded  to  an  eligible 
education  student.  Godwin  said  the  scholarship 
allows  her  parent’s  legacy  to  live  on  and  is  a  way 
for  her  to  give  back  to  Southern. 

Part  of  her  father’s  legacy  occurred  on  God¬ 
win’s  12th  birthday.  Godwin  attended  the  cer¬ 
emony  where  then-Missouri  Governor  Warren  E. 
Heames  signed  the  bill  approving  the  building  of 
a  four-year  college. 

This  college  would  be  built  on  the  Mis¬ 
sion  Hills  Estate.  To  this  day,  Godwin  has  the 


pen  used  by  Heames  to  sign  the  bill.  These  are 
memories  Godwin  treasures. 

Needless  to  say,  education  was  important  to 
the  Billingsly  family. 

“I  feel  I  have  been  truly  blessed  to  have  the 
rare  opportunity  to  watch  every  building  on 
campus  being  built,  graduate  from  MSSC,  and 
now,  years  later,  be  teaching  in  the  education 
department  at  MSSU,”  said  Godwin. 

Lee  Elliff  Pound, ’86,  director  of  the  Missouri 
Southern  Alumni  Association,  and  Godwin  are 
sorority  sisters.  Pound  and  Godwin  are  proud 
alumnae  of  the  former  Southern  chapter  of  Delta 
Gamma. 

“She  has  been  a  great  leader  to  show  how 
you  can  give  back  to  the  university,”  said  Pound. 

Godwin  has  donated  to  Southern  in  many 
ways.  Not  only  is  she  an  adjunct  education 
professor  and  former  Delta  Gamma  adviser,  but 
Godwin  has  also  dedicated  many  bricks  in  the 
Ralph  L.  Gray  Alumni  Center  Courtyard.  These 
bricks  signify  the  endless  contributions  her 
parents  and  friends  made  to  Southern. 

To  her  friends  who  are  alumni  of  Delta 
Gamma  and  Kappa  Alpha,  she  has  dedicated 
bricks  as  birthday  gifts.  Pound  said  the  bricks  are 
laid  once  a  year  in  the  Alumni  Courtyard.  If  they 
are  a  gift,  a  gift  card  can  be  placed  in  a  special 
MSSU  gift  box  for  the  recipient. 

Throughout  the  years,  Godwin  has  seen 
Southern  change  and  grow.  As  a  little  girl 
watching  the  first  brick  be  placed  in  the  creation 
of  Missouri  Southern  College  to  becoming  a 
dedicated  adjunct  professor  of  what  is  now  a 
growing  university,  she  has  witnessed  key  events 
in  Southern’s  history. 

“I  will  forever  be  grateful  for  all  the  wonder¬ 
ful  experiences  MSSU  provided  to  my  parents 
and  me  through  the  years,”  Godwin  said.  C 

—  Bethany  Courtney,  T6 


Above,  Connie  Godwin,  74,  has  donated 
several  bricks  in  the  Ralph  L.  Gray  Alumni 
Center  Courtyard.  She  grew  up  on  the 
Missouri  Southern  campus,  where  her  father 
was  the  first  president  of  Missouri  Southern 
State  College  and  her  mother  was  the  first 
director  of  the  Missouri  Southern  Foundation. 

—  Photo  by  Molly  Schons,  ’15;  Illustration  by  Taylor  Kubicek,  '15 
Right,  Bricks  (left  and  right)  in  memory 

of  Godwin's  parents.  Dr.  Leon  C.  and  Sue 
Billingsly,  adorn  the  Courtyard. 

Center,  one  of  Godwin's  treasured  memories  is 
when  Missouri  Southern  became  a  four-year 
college  on  her  12th  birthday.  She  keeps  the 
pen  used  by  then-Missouri  Gov.  Warren  E. 
Heames  to  sign  the  bill  as  a  reminder. 

—  Photos  by  Molly  Schons,  ’15 


17  crossroads 


crossroads 2(975  18 


Resident 

Experience 


Modern-style 
apartnnent 
complex  develops 
to  accommodate 
more  students. 


]osh  Doak,  '03,  director  of  residence  life  at  Missouri  Southern,  says  the  new  residence  hall  complex 
and  its  51  apartments  will  help  attract  students  to  live  on  campus.  —  Photo  by  Levi  Andrew,  16 


Sights  and  sounds  of  construction  have 
been  constant  at  Missouri  Southern  as 
the  campus  prepares  for  the  opening  of 
a  new  residence  hall  complex  this  fall. 


19  crossroads /spring 2015 


Top  left,  students  pass  the  new  residence  hall  complex  after  class  this  spring.  Above  left  and  center,  a  construction  worker  prepares  baseboard 
trim  for  the  interior  of  one  of  the  apartments,  which  feature  tiled  floors  and  showers.  Top  right  and  above  right,  a  series  of  walkways  will  connect 
the  three-story  structures.  —  Photos  by  Levi  Andrew,  ’16;  Above  center  photo  by  Kristen  Stacy,  ’16 


Joshua  Doak,  '03,  said  the  modern- 
style  buildings  should  spark  the  interest  of 
students. 

"It  is  very  different  from  what  we  have 
now,  and  I  think  it  will  help  attract  people  to 
want  to  live  on  campus,"  said  Doak,  director 
of  residence  halls  at  Southern. 

The  apartments  will  be  fully  furnished 
and  include  four  bedrooms,  each  with  a  per¬ 
sonal  bathroom,  a  full  kitchen  with  appli¬ 
ances  and  a  laundry  unit  inside  of  each  unit. 

Rooms  will  come  with  adjustable  height 
beds  with  an  extra  large  twin  mattress, 
three-drawer  chests,  a  chair  and  desk  with 
three  drawers  attached,  and  a  built-in  closet. 

With  spring  semester  underway,  con¬ 
struction  workers  continue  working  hard  to 
have  the  rooms  completed  by  fall. 

"I  think  students  are  going  to  thoroughly 
enjoy  this  building,  not  just  saying  that  from 
my  standpoint,"  said  Doak. 

"From  what  I've  seen  so  far  in  construc¬ 
tion,  I  think  it's  going  to  be  worth  it.  It  will 
definitely  improve  the  student's  overall 
perception  of  campus  living." 

When  he  was  a  student  at  Southern, 


RESIDENCE  HALLS 
BY  THE  NUMBERS 

3  Floors  in  each  buildin'g 
3-4  Bedrooms  per  apartment 
5  Apartment  buildings 
51  Apartments 
78,715  Total  square  feet 
$14  million  Cost  of 

construction 

V _ _ _ J 

Doak  engaged  himself  in  the  residence  hall 
life  and  took  on  responsibilities  as  a  resident 
assistant. 

"I  started  off  in  Blaine  Hall  as  a  regular 
student,"  Doak  said. 

"My  sophomore  year  I  was  a  resident  as¬ 
sistant  in  Blaine  Hall,  and  my  last  year,  I  was 
in  both  Blaine  and  East  Hall,  I  lived  in  every 


style  of  housing  at  that  time." 

Based  upon  experience,  Doak  believes  it 
is  necessary  for  students  to  live  in  the  resi¬ 
dence  halls  for  their  personal  development. 

For  some,  living  on  campus  is  an  essen¬ 
tial  part  of  the  process  of  staying  involved 
and  building  relationships  with  other 
students. 

"In  my  opinion,  I  feel  like  a  dorm  experi¬ 
ence  enhances  the  college  experience,"  said 
Doak. 

Bob  Harrington,  '98,  director  of  the 
physical  plant,  said  funding  for  the  resi¬ 
dence  halls  comes  from  a  self-bond  issued 
by  Southern  with  cost  of  the  project  totaling 
$14  million. 

Harrington  has  a  positive  vision  for  what 
the  new  residence  halls  bring  to  Southern. 

"The  apartments  themselves  are  nice, 
and  I  think  the  students  will  be  very  pleased 
with  them,"  Harrington  said.  "However, 
when  you  walk  in  the  courtyard  between 
the  buildings,  it  becomes  very  obvious  that 
this  will  be  'the'  gathering  and  public  space 
for  students."  C 

—  Adelie  Campbell,  T6 


crossroads  /spring 2015  20 


Baseball  field  and  stadium  become  a 
reality  for  Southern  fans  and  players. 


Junior  Chris  Hoffman  releases  the  first  pitch  of  the  game  versus  Lincoln  University  on  April  18  at  'Warren  Turner  Field. 


issouri  Southern  has  a  rich 
history  rooted  in  America's 
favorite  pastime,  and  now  the 
Lions  have  a  new  place  to  call  home. 

Southern  supporters  came  out  to  wit¬ 
ness  a  piece  of  history  unfold  as  the  new 
home  of  the  baseball  Lions  was  formally 
dedicated  on  April  18.  The  event  fea¬ 
tured  a  special  surprise,  not  only  for  the 
Southern  community,  but  also  for  the 
former  head  coach  of  the  Lions,  Warren 
Turner. 

When  the  sign  for  Warren  Turner 
Field  was  unveiled,  the  coach  was 
humbled.  Turner  was  honored  to  have 
his  name  on  the  field,  but  said  many 
people  were  involved  with  making  it 
happen. 

"My  name's  on  it  but  there  are  a 


lot  of  people  who  have  helped,"  said 
Turner. 

The  stadium  and  field  are  the  culmi¬ 
nation  of  several  years  of  fundraising 
and  planning.  The  dedication  was  April 
18,  but  the  first  game  was  played  on  the 
field  February  14. 

For  the  first  time,  the  baseball  team 
has  a  permanent  home  after  many 
seasons  at  Joe  Becker  Stadium  in  Joplin. 
The  baseball  complex  is  a  premiere  facil¬ 
ity  in  the  MIAA  Conference,  capable  of 
playing  host  to  NCAA  championships. 

Former  Lions  catcher  Matt  Nelson, 
'96,  was  vital  to  the  committee  that 
moved  the  project  forward.  He  enjoyed 
watching  the  stadium  become  a  reality. 

"You  hate  to  say  it's  a  dream  come 
true  because  it's  such  a  cliche,  but  it 


really  is,"  said  Nelson.  "And  to  have 
Warren  Turner's  name  on  the  field  is 
just  so  fitting." 

After  the  dedication  and  ribbon 
cutting,  first  pitches  were  thrown  by 
Nelson;  Turner;  Troy,  '90,  and  Jenny, 

'86,  Richards;  Steve  Koelkebeck;  Debbie 
Thompson;  and  Rod  Anderson,  '76.  The 
day  wrapped  up  with  a  4-2  victory  over 
Lincoln  University,  a  clean  sweep  of  the 
series  by  the  Lions. 

Turner  is  excited  about  what  the 
complex  represents  for  the  team  and 
Southern's  future. 

"This  stadium  is  a  showcase  for  base¬ 
ball,"  said  Turner,  "and  having  the  team 
we  have  this  season  to  go  along  with  it 
is  great."  C 

—  Jeremy  Jones,  '15 


21  ‘  crb$sraads  (spring  201^ 


jMercy? 


Top  left,  Missouri  Southern  President 
Alan  Marble,  79,  (center)  holds  the 
ribbon  as  others  cut  it  to  officially 
dedicate  Warren  Turner  Field  on  April 
18:  from  left,  Mike  Pence;  head  coach 
Bryce  Darnell,  '97;  Matt  Nelson,  '96; 
Marble;  former  head  coach  Warren 
Turner;  Gloria  Turner,  '69  and  '71; 
James  Fleischaker;  and  Athletic  Director 
Jared  Bruggeman.  Above,  senior  Chad 
Shannon  and  sophomore  Richie  Gorski 
prepare  to  catch  the  first  pitches  from 
stadium  benefactors.  Above  right, 
assistant  coach  Jason  Immekus  (left), 
Darnell  and  assistant  coach  Dennis 
Vilela  stand  by  the  dugout,  which  has 
stands  above  to  give  fans  an  up-close 
experience.  Right,  Turner  addresses 
attendees  at  the  dedication  after  the  new 
name  is  revealed.  —  Photos  by  Levi  Andrew,  '16 


FIELD 


crossroads  !  spring  201  y 


After  a  long  wait,  athletics  projects  near  completion. 


Deep  ruts  cut  into  the  red  clay  from 
the  earth  being  moved  by  heavy 
machinery.  The  air  was  full  of  the 
rap  tap  of  nail  guns  and  the  roar  of  the  large 
diesel  engines  that  powered  earth-moving 
machines.  A  worker  signaled  another  to  stop 
what  he  was  doing  and  hand  him  a  long 
piece  of  lumber. 

The  progression  of  several  renovation 
and  construction  projects  has  been  in  effect 
this  past  year  at  Missouri  Southern,  and  the 
athletics  department  is  not  falling  behind 
with  the  construction  underway  for  a  new 
baseball  field  and  a  new  athletic  field  house 
complex.  Two  seven-figure  amounts  from 
the  Robert  W.  Plaster  Foundation  are  dedi¬ 
cated  for  this  purpose.  These  new  facilities 
will  benefit  the  athletics  department  as  well 
as  Southern. 

The  Stadium  Strategic  Plan  Committee 
was  assembled  in  2005  to  develop  a  plan  of 
action  for  athletic  facilities,  and  the  commit¬ 
tee  brought  the  proposal  before  the  Board  of 
Governors  on  July  20,  2006.  Jared  Brugge- 
man  has  been  the  athletic  director  since  2009 
and  has  been  a  part  of  this  project  since  that 
time. 

"We  got  our  first  donor  interested  in 
the  project  in  the  spring  of  2011,"  said 
Bruggeman.  "Right  after  we  had  that  first 
contribution  to  the  project,  we  had  obvi¬ 
ously  a  major  disaster  in  Joplin,  which 


put  us  on  hold  for  a  little  while." 

Although  the  2011  tornado  that  ripped 
through  Joplin  slowed  down  the  project, 
it  did  not  shut  it  down.  The  field  house 
construction  is  scheduled  to  be  completed 
by  the  summer  of  2015,  and  the  baseball 
stadium  was  ready  to  go  for  the  2015  season. 

The  field  house  complex  will  house  foot¬ 
ball,  baseball  and  softball  with  13  coaches 
offices,  eight  meeting  and  video  rooms, 
a  4,000-square-foot  training  room,  taping 
stations,  an  exam  room  and  two  medical 
offices. 

Student-athletes  will  benefit  a  great  deal 
from  the  new  facilities  and  will  have  access 
to  opportunities  they  haven't  in  the  past. 

"This  is  a  big  thing  for  us,  particularly 
for  the  sport  of  football,"  said  Bruggeman. 
"Not  to  have  to  walk  across  the  street,  to 
have  a  locker  room  in  our  own  facility,  and 
to  have  an  athletic  training  room  that  is 
modernized  will  be  great  for  our  student- 
athletes.  A  weight  room  over  there  and  a 
weight  room  here  will  allow  us  to  be  more 
flexible  with  our  student-athletes  to  work 
out  so  they  don't  have  to  be  here  at  5:30  or 
6  in  the  morning  or  9  at  night.  We  currently 
have  an  athletic  training  room,  but  it's  very 
small  and  forces  athletes  to  do  rehab  in  the 
hallways." 

In  addition  to  the  athletic  field  house,  the 
baseball  stadium,  which  saw  its  first  game 


on  February  14  and  was  dedicated  April  18, 
will  help  players  and  coaches. 

Lion  baseball  has  not  had  a  field  on 
Southern's  campus  since  1974.  Many  memo¬ 
ries  were  made  during  the  Lions'  time  at  Joe 
Becker  Stadium,  including  the  MIAA  Con¬ 
ference  Championship  in  2013,  but  having  a 
facility  on  campus  will  help  the  players. 

Matt  Nelson,  '96,  is  a  former  catcher  for 
the  Lions  who  was  an  essential  factor  in 
organizing  the  project  and  helping  to  raise 
funds  for  the  new  stadium. 

"What  I'm  impressed  the  most  about  is 
that  they  are  going  to  be  on  campus,"  said 
Nelson.  "They're  going  to  have  access  to  the 
training  facilities,  they're  going  to  have  ac¬ 
cess  to  the  academic  services,  they're  going 
to  have  access  to  lunch  and  dinner.  These 
are  things  that  we  didn't  ever  have  access  to 
because  we  were  busy  running  around." 

Former  state  senator,  alumnus  and 
friend  of  Southern  Gary  Nodler,  '72,  helped 
secure  state  funds  for  these  projects.  Nodler 
believes  these  developments  are  moving 
Southern's  academic  programs  toward  a 
bright  future. 

"Athletics  is  the  cutting  edge  to  pro¬ 
vide  resources  for  academics  so  that  this 
can  become  the  great  university  that  it 
has  the  capacity  to  be  in  the  21st  cen¬ 
tury,"  said  Nodler.  C 

—  Jeremy  Jones,  T5 


Athletics  is  the  cutting  edge  to  provide  resources  for  academics  so  that  this  can 
become  the  great  university  that  it  has  the  capacity  to  be  in  the  21st  century.  ” 


23  crassraads  ! spring 20 15 


Workers  set  concrete  blocks  for  the  walls  in  the  new  Missouri  Southern  field  house.  Lion  football,  baseball  and  softball 
programs  will  be  located  in  the  facility,  which  also  includes  an  alumni  room.  —  Photo  by  Natalie  Cossey,  'is 


- . 

Field  house  facts 

^  Cost  is  $9  million. 

^  Facility  is  two  stories  tall  with 
42,000  total  square  feet  of  space. 

^  Includes  13  coaches  offices, 
two  conference  rooms,  an  academic 
room,  athletic  training  room,  weight 
room,  and  locker  rooms  for  football, 
baseball  and  softball. 

^  Includes  a  room  for  alumni. 

Source:  Bob  Harrington,  '98, 

Director  of  MSSU  Physical  Plant 

J 


- 

Baseball  facts 

^  Cost  is  $2.5  million. 

^  Contains  seating  for  600  fans. 

^  Includes  batting  cages  with 
bullpens,  press  box,  and  modern 
concessions  area. 

^  Field  features  state-of-the-art 
synthetic  turf. 

^  Missouri  Southern  can  host  NCAA 
regional  and  national  events. 

Source:  Bob  Harrington,  ’98, 

Director  of  MSSU  Physical  Plant 


Above  left,  construction  progresses 
on  the  new  Missouri  Southern  field 
house.  The  facility,  located  at  the 
north  end  of  the  football  stadium, 
will  feature  an  outdoor  terrace.  The 
field  house  has  a  total  of 42,000 
SCJuare  feet.  —  Photo  by  Levi  Andrew,  '16 
Above  right,  the  new  baseball 
stadium  features  an  artificial  turf 


surface.  —  Photo  by  Natalie  Cossey,  '16 


y/"'  y.' 


crossro^fe;  Aj^riiu^OI 9"  2^^  y 


V 


J 


Positive 

numbers 

Alumnus  shares 
life  of  business, 
generosity  and 
good  fortune. 

He  may  have  grown  up  in  the 
house  where  he  was  born  in 
Drexel,  Missouri,  but  Daryl  Deel, 
'75,  retained  that  small- town  spirit  and 
used  it  to  pursue  a  successful  career. 

Deel  came  to  Joplin  during  high  school 
to  visit  a  friend  who  was  attending  Mis¬ 
souri  Southern  and  playing  basketball  for 
the  Lions.  Deel  made  friends  with  some 
students  during  his  visit,  which  helped 
prompt  his  decision  to  go  to  college  at 
Southern. 

At  that  time,  Drexel  graduates  had  a 
reputation  for  attending  the  University  of 
Central  Missouri  at  Warrensburg. 

"Out  of  our  23  that  graduated,  we  had 
five  that  came  here  to  Missouri  South¬ 
ern  that  year,"  said  Deel.  "That  started 
a  trend  from  kids  who  graduated  from 
Drexel  to  start  coming  to  Missouri  South¬ 
ern  over  the  years." 

Deel  believes  in  giving  back  to  his  alma 
mater  and  is  one  of  the  donors  for  the  new 
athletic  field  house,  which  is  scheduled  for 
completion  this  summer. 

"I  do  believe  that  a  very  successful 
program  for  either  football  or  basketball 
will  drive  more  attention  to  the  univer¬ 
sity,"  said  Deel,  "and  if  that  field  house  is 
something  that's  important  for  being  able 
to  attract  the  right  kind  of  student-athlete, 
then  it  made  sense." 

In  high  school,  Deel  took  an  accounting 
class.  The  subject  came  easy  to  him,  which 
led  him  to  major  in  accounting  at  South¬ 
ern.  Deel  spent  a  semester  on  campus  and 
from  there  moved  into  a  house  with  some 
friends.  During  his  first  semester,  Deel 
worked  as  a  janitor  in  Reynolds  Hall  on 
a  work-study  program.  After  moving  off- 


^  supporter 
Southern  campus.  — 


campus,  a  friend's  uncle  helped  Deel  find 
a  job  as  an  assistant  manager  at  the  15th 
Street  Wal-Mart. 

"Back  then,  if  you  wanted  your 
prescription  filled,  they'd  take  it  to  your 
house,  and  that's  what  I  did,"  said  Deel. 

Deliveries  and  work  as  an  assistant  at 
the  pharmacy  had  Deel  working  40  hours  a 
week  on  top  of  being  a  full-time  student. 

His  senior  year,  Deel  landed  an  intern¬ 
ship  with  the  Joplin  branch  of  the  account¬ 
ing  firm  Baird,  Kurtz  and  Dobson. 

"If  you  were  an  accounting  major  and 
you  were  selected  by  one  of  the  CPA  firms 
in  the  area,  you  would  go  work  for  them 
for  about  a  month  over  Christmas  break," 
Deel  said. 

After  he  graduated,  BKD  invited  him 
to  help  with  tax  season,  and  from  there, 
offered  him  a  position  at  the  firm.  From 
the  earliest  days  at  BKD,  Deel  developed  a 
name  for  himself  as  a  transportation  spe¬ 
cialist,  working  with  trucking  companies 
in  the  area. 

Deel  worked  his  way  up  to  become  a 
partner  at  BKD,  when  he  was  approached 
by  the  executives  of  Trism  Inc.,  a  tri-state 
trucking  company  owned  by  investment 
bankers  in  New  York. 

"These  guys  came  and  convinced  me 
that  we  were  going  to  make  a  lot  of  money, 
that  it  was  going  to  be  easy  and  that  we 
were  going  to  have  fun,"  said  Deel.  "Well, 
we  didn't  make  any  money,  and  it  wasn't 
easy,  but  we  did  have  a  little  bit  of  fun." 

At  Trism,  Deel  learned  how  to  run  a 
business.  He  spent  seven  years  as  the  ex¬ 
ecutive  vice  president  of  finance  for  Trism 
before  being  made  president  of  Tri-State 
Motor  Transit,  which  was  a  subsidiary  of 


Trism.  After  spending  a  year  at  Tri-State, 
changes  were  made  in  the  organizational 
structure,  and  Deel's  position  was  elimi¬ 
nated. 

"I've  said  it  lots  of  times,  but  the  best 
day  in  my  life  was  getting  fired  from 
Trism,"  said  Deel.  "I  got  fired  on  a  Sunday, 

I  took  one  day  off,  then  on  Tuesday  I  called 
a  guy  from  Canada  that  I  knew  owned 
R&R  Trucking." 

Within  six  weeks,  the  paperwork  had 
gone  through  and  Deel  purchased  R&R. 

He  owned  R&R  for  10  years  and  grew  the 
business  from  its  initial  revenue  of  $1  mil¬ 
lion  a  year  to  $75  million  a  year  in  2007. 

Deel  is  one  of  the  benefactors  for  the 
new  field  house  at  Missouri  Southern, 
which  will  be  completed  during  the  sum¬ 
mer.  He  believes  in  Southern  and  wants  to 
help  make  it  a  better  place.  He  thinks  this 
field  house  will  help. 

"I  think  a  successful  athletic  program 
will  make  the  university  better  in  a  num¬ 
ber  of  ways,"  said  Deel.  "I  believe  the  ad¬ 
dition  of  a  very  nice  field  house  will  help 
with  recruiting  for  quality  athletes." 

Through  the  field  house  project  and 
golfing  at  Twin  Hills  Country  Club,  Deel 
developed  a  relationship  with  Jared  Brug- 
geman,  the  director  of  athletics  at  Mis¬ 
souri  Southern.  Bruggeman  is  thankful  for 
alumni  who  help  make  the  university  a 
better  place  for  future  students. 

"We  already  have  so  many  great  alums 
who  are  helping  to  increase  the  footprint 
of  Missouri^^outhern,"  said  Bruggeman. 
"They  are  giv^ing  of  their  resources  and 
time  to  make  the  university  better,  and  we 
are  thankful  for  fh^."  C 

—  Jeremy  Jones,  ’15 


25  crossroads  ! spring 20 15 


Left,  Taevaunn  Prince,  who  earned  MIAA  second-team  honors  this  season,  goes  up  for  a  shot  against  Central  Missouri.  Center  left,  junior  guard 
Austin  Wright  led  the  Lions  with  79  3-pointers-made  this  season.  Center  right,  Camila  Lacerda  drives  the  hall  past  Central  Missouri.  Right,  senior 
Nic  Hartzog  averaged  13.5  points  per  game  this  season,  finishing  in  the  top  15  in  scoring  for  the  league.  —  Photos  by  David  Moss 

Lion  tough 

Teams  finish  with  20-win  seasons  and  the  MIAA  Tournament. 


Men  (20-11) 

The  first  year  of  Jeff  Boschee  at  the  helm 
of  the  men's  basketball  program  was  a  suc¬ 
cessful  one  as  the  Lions  advanced  to  their 
second-straight  MIAA  Tournament  final 
and  finished  with  20  wins  for  the  fourth 
time  in  five  seasons. 

Picked  to  finish  fifth  in  the  MIAA 
Preseason  Coaches  Poll,  the  Lions  proved 
the  coaches  wrong  and  earned  the  third 
seed  and  a  bye  to  the  MIAA  Tournament  in 
Kansas  City. 

Southern  started  the  season  with  an 
8-4  record  at  the  turn  of  the  New  Year.  The 
Lions  finished  the  regular  season  10-6  and 
won  the  first  two  games  of  the  MIAA  Tour¬ 
nament  against  Nebraska-Kearney  (97-88) 
and  No.  18  Central  Missouri  (81-74)  before 
falling  in  the  finals  to  Pittsburg  State,  with 
a  final  overall  record  20-11. 

Southern  had  four  players  earn  postsea¬ 
son  honors,  led  by  junior  Taevaunn  Prince 
who  was  a  second-team  selection.  Cam¬ 
eron  Cornelius  and  Lane  Barlow  were  both 
honorable  mention  selections,  and  Greg 
Renfroe  was  named  to  the  All-Defensive 
team. 

Junior  guard  Austin  Wright  had  a 
memorable  season  shooting  the  long-ball. 
He  set  a  single-game  MSSU  record  with 
nine  made-3's  against  Northeastern  State 
and  finished  the  season  with  79,  also  set¬ 
ting  a  new  single-season  record.  He  sits 
in  fourth-place,  one  out  of  third,  in  the 


career  3-pointers-made  category,  needing 
just  47  in  his  senior  campaign  to  break  the 
Southern  record. 

—  Justin  Maskus, 
Athletics  Media  Relations  Director 

Women  (20-7) 

The  women  finished  in  the  top  half  of  the 
MIAA  as  they  went  14-5  in  conference  play, 
20-7  overall.  This  was  the  first  20-win  season 
for  the  program  since  the  1995-96  season. 
The  Lions  finished  fourth  in  the  MIAA  after 
being  picked  to  finish  sixth  in  ^e  MIAA 
Preseason  Coaches  Poll.  Southern  finished 
in  the  top  half  of  the  MIAA  in  14  different 
stat  categories  and  finished  eighth  in  all  of 
NCAA  D-II  in  team  free-throw  percentage. 

Southern  started  the  season  on  a  six- 
game,  nonconference,  winning  streak,  as  it 
defeated  D-Il  opponents  Oklahoma  Pan¬ 
handle,  Rockhurst,  Quincy,  Northwestern 
Oklahoma  State  and  NAIA  members  Avila 
and  Central  Christian.  In  the  game  against 
Central  Christian,  the  Lions  set  a  new  school 
record  with  33  assists,  four  off  the  MIAA 
single-game  record  held  by  Emporia  State. 
The  Lions  ran  their  winning  streak  to  eight 
as  they  opened  MIAA  play  with  road  wins 
over  Nebraska-Kearney  and  then-seventh- 
ranked  Washburn.  After  losing  four  straight, 
the  Lions  bounced  back  with  a  seven-game 
winning  streak  that  included  wins  over 
Northeastern  State,  who  they  held  to  nine 
first-half  points,  road  wins  at  Lindenwood 


and  Lincoln,  a  1-point  win  over  Northwest 
Missouri  that  included  a  19-8  run  over  the 
last  10:44,  wins  at  Missouri  Western  and 
Southwest  Baptist,  and  a  home  win  over 
Central  Missouri.  After  the  Jennies  avenged 
their  loss  in  Warrensburg,  Southern  ran  off 
another  six  wins  heading  into  the  MIAA 
Postseason  Tournament,  including  an  over¬ 
time  win  at  Northwest  Missouri,  home  wins 
over  Missouri  Western,  Southwest  Baptist, 
Lindenwood,  Lincoln,  and  a  road  overtime 
win  over  then-seventh-ranked  Pittsburg 
State. 

Southern's  season  ended  with  a  loss  to 
Central  Missouri  in  the  quarterfinals  of  the 
MIAA  Postseason  Tournament  in  Kansas 
City. 

Junior  Sharese  Jones  and  senior  Nic 
Hartzog  led  the  Lions,  as  they  averaged  13.7 
and  13.5  points  per  game,  respectively.  Jones 
and  Hartzog  finished  in  the  top  15  in  scoring 
in  the  league,  with  Jones  also  finishing  sixth 
in  both  rebounding  with  7.3  per  game  and 
field-goal  percentage,  shooting  .498  for  the 
season.  Hartzog  and  Jones  also  finished  first 
and  fourth  in  the  league  in  free-throw  per¬ 
centage  for  the  year,  with  Hartzog  finishing 
34th  in  all  of  NCAA  D-II. 

For  their  efforts,  Jones  and  Hartzog 
earned  second  team  AlI-MIAA  honors. 
Hartzog  also  earned  All-Defensive  team 
accolades. 

—  Shaun  Buck,  Tl, 
Athletics  Media  Relations  Assistant 


crossroads  ! spring 20 15  26 


Marshall  Reed,  '08,  and  Kimi  Shank-Reed,  '10,  met  while  students  at  Missouri  Southern  and  later  married.  Marshall  helps  train  Kimifor 
marathons.  She  recently  qualified  for  the  Olympic  Trials  after  a  personal  best  time  at  the  Grandma's  Maratlwn  in  Duluth,  Minnesota.  -  Submitted  photo 


For  the  love  of  the  run 

Shank-Reed,  '10,  sets  mark  in  qualifier  for  Olympic  Trials. 


Her  running  time  was  approaching 
2:41:44  as  she  neared  the  finish 
line.  The  crowd  ran  along  the 
fence,  yelling  in  excitement.  Kimi  Shank- 
Reed,  '10,  completed  the  marathon  with 
hopes  that  her  time  was  better  than  before. 

"After  my  second  marathon  in  fall 
2013, 1  was  surprised  at  how  close  I  got  to 
the  qualifying  time  for  the  trials,"  Shank- 
Reed  said  of  her  finish  in  June  2014  at 
the  Grandma's  Marathon,  an  annual  race 


held  in  Duluth,  Minnesota. 

She  ran  a  personal  best  in  June,  and 
finished  the  race  with  a  time  of  2:41.54.  After 
multiple  records  and  All-American  statuses, 
Shank-Reed  qualified  for  the  U.S.  Olym¬ 
pic  Team  Trials  for  Men's  and  Women's 
Marathon,  to  be  held  in  February  2016  in 
Los  Angeles. 

Shank-Reed  has  had  a  great  go  at  run¬ 
ning  thus  far.  After  a  close  qualifying  time  in 
her  first  marathon,  she  began  to  see  the  real¬ 


ity  of  how  she  could  qualify  for  the  Olympic 
Trials.  It  took  time,  travel  and  training  for 
the  Springfield,  Missouri,  resident  to  make 
it  this  far.  Aside  from  all  the  traveling  and 
running,  she  faces  other  everyday  obstacles 
that  make  training  difficult. 

"I  work  a  full-time  job  as  a  physical 
therapist  and  starting  a  run  or  workout  at 
7:30  p.m.  after  being  on  my  feet  all  day  can 
be  challenging,  so  I  elevate  my  legs  by  put¬ 
ting  them  in  the  air  to  increase  my  blood  to 


27  crossroads  / spring 2015 


my  heart,  in  hopes  of  a  good  run,"  Shank- 
Reed  said. 

She  competed  in  other  marathons  before 
the  Grandma's  Marathon  and  was  aware  of 
the  effort  it  took  to  run  in  a  race  like  that. 

"I  was  only  80  seconds  off  the  qualifying 
time  the  last  marathon  I  did,  so  I  knew  I  had 
what  it  took  to  shave  that  80  seconds  off  and 
get  to  the  Olympic  Trials,"  she  said. 

As  an  eighth-grader,  Shank-Reed  was 
the  first  to  finish  the  mile  in  her  class.  She 
picked  up  cross-country  her  freshman  year 
of  high  school  and  continued  her  running 
career  at  Missouri  Southern. 

"At  that  point,  the  farthest  I  had  raced 
was  a  mile;  the  thought  of  3  miles  was  ludi¬ 
crous  to  me,"  she  said. 

Shank-Reed  met  her  husband,  Marshall 
Reed,  '08,  also  a  Southern  cross-country 
runner,  in  the  Lion  athletic  training  room. 
They  became  running  partners  soon  after. 
One  could  say  Reed  is  her  coach  figure  now; 
he  put  together  Shank-Reed's  training  plan 
and  has  supported  her  throughout  her  entire 
journey.  He  ran  beside  Shank-Reed  for  10 
miles  in  the  Grandma's  Marathon. 

"We  spent  the  entire  summer  before 


her  sophomore  year  training  and  pushing 
each  other  to  get  back  into  shape,  and  we 
have  been  pushing  each  other  since,"  her 
husband  said. 

Self-motivation  and  setting  goals  drives 
Shank-Reed  to  do  her  best.  Her  mother 
came  to  almost  every  race  at  Southern,  con¬ 
stantly  motivating  her  daughter.  Her  mom 
doesn't  come  to  as  many  races  now,  but  that 
could  change  with  the  Olympic  Trials. 

"It  wouldn't  surprise  me  if  she  ends  up 
coming  to  Los  Angeles  with  us  for  the  tri¬ 
als,"  Shank-Reed  said. 

She  has  yet  to  stop  her  dream  of  running. 

"There  is  not  a  chance  of  making  the 
Olympics,"  Shank-Reed  said,  "but  the  ex¬ 
citement  of  qualifying  is  enough." 

This  statement  hasn't  tempered  her  de¬ 
termination.  To  get  to  the  trials,  Shank-Reed 
trained  with  high  mileage  and  endurance 
workouts,  such  as  10-mile  tempo  runs 
aimed  at  race  pace.  At  times,  she  would  do 
5k  repeats,  which  equates  to  3.1-mile  runs 
multiple  times  in  a  row. 

"After  grinding  out  65-75  miles  a  week, 
at  times,  taking  step  after  step  to  finish  a 
24-mile  run  would  break  my  muscles  down. 


but  that  didn't  stop  me  from  continuing  to 
run  seven  days  a  week,"  she  said. 

To  assure  Shank-Reed  would  recover 
properly,  her  husband  gave  her  active- 
release  treatments  to  keep  her  muscles  from 
breaking  down.  This  allowed  her  to  recover 
faster  from  her  training  workouts  for  the 
Grandma's  Marathon. 

"It  was  such  a  relief  to  cross  the  line  and 
finish  over  a  minute  under  the  standard," 
she  said. 

Running  day  after  day,  the  goal  of  being 
the  best  runner  Shank-Reed  can  be  is  hap¬ 
pening. 

"I'll  get  to  toe  the  line  with  runners  like 
Kara  Goucher  and  Deena  Kastor.  A  realistic 
goal  for  me  would  be  to  finish  in  the  top  half 
and  run  sub  2:40,"  she  said. 

The  road  less  traveled  sometimes  leads 
to  great  accomplishments.  Shank-Reed  has 
come  a  long  way  with  distance  running,  13 
plus  years  and  still  going  strong. 

"It's  such  a  relief  that  I  actually  quali¬ 
fied,  that  I  have  no  real  pressure  for  this 
race.  My  biggest  fear  would  be  greatly 
underperforming,"  she  said.  C 

—  Emily  Harris,  T6 


MSSU  records  set 
by  Kimi  Shank-Reed 

^  5k  indoor,  16:47 
^  5k  outdoor,  16:41 
►  10k  outdoor,  34:51 
^  Distance  medley  relay,  indoor  track 

V _ ^ _ J 


Far  left,  Kimi  Shank-Reed  finishes  the 
Twin  Cities  Marathon  in  October  2013  in 
Minneapolis.  —  Submitted  photo 
Left,  Shank-Reed  returned  in  February  to  cheer 
on  the  Lions  at  the  Missouri  Southern  Lion 
Open  indoor  track  meet  in  Leggett  &  Platt 
Athletic  Center.  —  Photo  by  Kristen  Stacey 


crossroads /spring 2015  28 


Left,  Austin  Wolfe  was  a  third-team,  All-MIAA  pick  in  the  2014  season. 

Center,  Giresse  Forchu  is  a  third-team,  All-MIAA  pick  and  ranked  21st  nationally  and 
led  the  MIAA  in  rushing  touchdowns. 

Right,  junior  Callie  Whetstone  broke  the  Lions  single-season  record  with  150  block 
assists  and  led  the  nation  in  that  category.  —  Photos  by  Mike  Guiiett 


It’s  a  wrap ... 

Southern  excels  in  fall  events 


Football  (4-7) 

The  season  was  not  what  any  of  the 
coaches  or  players  would  call  acceptable, 
but  the  Lions  fought  through  injuries  and 
had  a  pair  of  back-to-back  wins  to  post  a 
4-7  season. 

The  Lions  had  wins  at  Nebraska-Ke- 
arney  and  at  home  against  Washburn,  as 
well  as  at  home  against  Northeastern  State 
in  a  televised  game,  while  winning  on  the 
road  at  Lindenwood  the  week  later. 

In  all,  10  Lions  earned  All-MIAA  hon¬ 
ors,  led  by  Ty'Quan  Hayes,  who  was  a  sec¬ 
ond  team  selection.  Hayes  led  the  MIAA 
in  combined  kick  returns  and  ranked 
second  in  the  league  in  punt  returns.  He 
also  ranked  21st  nationally  in  punt  returns, 
averaging  13.2  yards  per  return. 

Giresse  Forchu  was  a  third- team  All- 
MIAA  pick  and  was  ranked  21st  nationally 
and  in  the  league  in  rushing  touchdowns 
with  15.  Austin  Wolfe  was  also  a  third 
team  pick. 

Forchu  earned  All-Region  honors 
and  was  named  a  first-team  Academic 
All-American.  The  Lions  had  11  players 
named  to  the  MIAA  Academic  Honor  Roll. 

Volleyball 

The  inaugural  season  of  new  head 
coach  John  Napier  saw  records  fall  and  a 
national  statistical  leader. 

The  Lions  doubled  their  win  total  from 
a  year  prior,  winning  eight  matches  on  the 


season.  Senior  Katie  Politte  finished  her 
career  with  1,160  kills,  which  ranks  eighth 
all-time  in  MSSU  history.  Her  4,013  total 
attacks  ranks  third  best,  and  she  is  one  of 
three  MSSU  players  to  record  more  than 
4,000  attacks  in  a  career.  Her  1,317  attacks 
rank  third-best  in  a  single  season  at  MSSU. 

Junior  Callie  Whetstone  finished  the 
season  with  150  block  assists,  breaking 
the  MSSU  single-season  record  that  had 
stood  at  115.  Her  171  total  blocks  ranks 
third-best,  and  she  led  in  Division  II  in 
blocks  per  set,  while  ranking  second  in 
total  blocks.  Her  298  career  total  blocks 
rank  eighth  in  MSSU  history,  while  her  256 


29  spring 2015 


block  assists  rank  third-best. 

The  Lions'  451  block  assists  on  the 
season  also  sets  a  new  team  single-season 
record,  besting  the  previous  mark  of  357. 

Both  Whetstone  and  Politte  were 
named  second-team  All-MIAA  picks,  while 
the  team  had  four  individuals  named  to 
the  MIAA  Academic  Honor  Roll. 

Cross  Country 

The  teams  produced  one  of  the  most 
dominant  performances  seen  out  of  the 
programs  in  MSSU  history. 

Both  teams  started  the  year  as  the  pre¬ 
season  favorites  to  win  the  MIAA  and  both 
were  nationally  ranked. 

The  women  started  the  season  finishing 
fourth  overall  at  the  Southern  Stampede 
but  were  the  top  Division  II  team  in  the 
field.  The  Lions  won  every  other  regular- 
season  and  capped  the  season  with  a  first- 
place  finish  at  the  2014  MIAA  Champion¬ 
ships. 

Emily  Harris,  Kindra  Emberton,  Dora 
Eastin,  Kaitlyn  Belisle,  Addie  Mengwasser 
and  Dana  Roberson  were  named  All- 
MIAA  after  finishing  in  the  top  20  at  the 
league  meet. 

The  women  finished  third  at  the  NCAA 
Division  II  Central  Region  meet,  qualifying 
for  the  National  Championships,  where 
the  Lions  finished  27th  overall.  Eastin 
and  Harris  were  named  All-Region,  while 
coach  Patty  Vavra  earned  MIAA  Coach  of 
the  Year  honors. 

The  men  also  had  a  memorable  season. 
The  Lions  finished  third  at  the  Stampede, 
where  Eric  Schott  started  the  season  win- 


Left,  senior  Eric  Schott  was  the  most  dominant  single-season  individual  runner  by  any 
MSSU  men's  cross  country  runner.  Center,  Dora  Eastin  was  an  All-Region  selection 
last  fall.  Right,  Carly  Cecil  was  one  of  three  Lions  with  three  assists  for  Missouri 
Southern  in  the  2014  season.  —  Photos  by  Mike  Gullett  and  Justin  Maskus 


ning  the  individual  title  at  the  event. 

That  race  started  one  of  the  most  domi¬ 
nant  single-season  individual  runs  by  any 
MSSU  men's  cross  country  runner.  Schott 
won  four  MI  A  A  Cross  Country  Runner  of 
the  Week  awards,  and  he  was  never  de¬ 
feated  by  another  Division  II  runner  until 
the  NCAA  Regional  meet. 

Schott  was  the  top  D-II  runner  at  the 
Chili  Pepper  Festival  at  the  University 
of  Arkansas,  before  winning  meets  at 
Southwest  Baptist  and  Missouri  S&T.  He 
capped  the  regular  season  by  helping  the 
men  to  the  MIAA  Championship  and  win¬ 
ning  the  individual  MIAA  title.  Schott  and 
fellow  teammates  Tyler  Rush  and  Andrew 
Webster  finished  1-2-3  at  the  meet;  Colton 
Wooldridge  was  seventh  and  Adrian  Todd 
was  ninth.  The  five  runners  earned  All- 
MIAA  honors. 

The  Lions  won  three  meets  during  the 
regular  season  and  placed  third  at  the 
NCAA  Division  II  Regional,  qualifying  for 
the  NCAA  Championships.  Schott  placed 


second  at  the  regional,  and  he,  Webster 
and  Todd  earned  All-Region  honors.  The 
Lions  finished  17th  at  the  National  Cham¬ 
pionships. 

Coach  Bryan  Schiding  made  it  a 
Southern  sweep  of  the  MIAA  Coach  of  the 
Year  honors,  winning  his  first  such  league 
honor. 

Soccer (5-11-2) 

The  team  finished  the  season  at  5-11-2 
overall,  3-10-1  in  the  MIAA,  narrowly 
missing  the  MIAA  Postseason  Tourna¬ 
ment.  The  Lions  started  their  season  2-1-1 
in  nonconference  action,  falling  in  the  sea¬ 
son  opener  to  Drury  2-0  before  rebounding 
and  defeating  former  MIAA  rival  Missouri 
S&T,  2-1,  in  Springfield. 

The  Lions  traveled  to  Claremore,  Okla¬ 
homa,  and  defeated  Rogers  State  5-0  and 
tied  East  Central  in  its  home  opener,  3-3 
in  double  overtime.  The  three  conference 
wins  consisted  of  a  2-0  win  over  Nebraska- 
Kearney  at  home  and  a  pair  of  1-0  wins 


on  the  road  at  Washburn  in  overtime  and 
at  Emporia  State.  Southern  had  the  lead 
over  then  lOth-ranked  Central  Missouri 
in  Warrensburg  before  the  Jennies  made  a 
second-half  comeback,  winning  the  match 
4-1. 

Senior  goalkeeper  Beth  Hammons 
finished  her  Green  and  Gold  career  with 
2,688  minutes  played  in  the  net.  Hammons 
finished  fifth  in  school  history  with  167 
saves  and  tied  for  fourth  all  time  in  goals 
against  average  with  a  1.67  goals  against 
average. 

Senior  Casey  Vitale  led  the  Lions  with 
five  goals  on  the  season,  while  senior 
Kelsey  Haist  finished  with  three.  Also 
scoring  three  times  were  freshman  Hannah 
Bomar  and  junior  Karley  Thomas.  Bomar, 
sophomore  Carly  Cecil  and  junior  Kimmy 
Hulse  led  the  team  in  assists  with  three 
each. 

—  Justin  Maskus, 
Athletics  Media  Relations  Director,  and 
Shaun  Buck,  Tl,  Athletics  Media  Relations  Assistant 


Lions  notebook 


MoSo  Lions  conduct  successful 
Pride  for  Pink  Campaign 

The  Missouri  Southern  Athletics  De¬ 
partment  held  its  annual  Pink  Game  on 
February  14  as  the  Lions  hosted  Missouri 
Western  on  Robert  Corn  Court  inside  the 
Leggett  &  Platt  Athletic  Center. 

The  women's  basketball  Pink  Game 
was  only  one  facet  of  the  larger  Pride 
for  Pink  Campaign  that  MSSU  has  been 
running  this  year.  Each  women's  sport  at 
Southern  had  a  specified  Pride  for  Pink 
event;  T-shirts  were  sold  and  donations 
were  accepted  throughout  the  year. 


The  department  started  with  a  goal 
to  raise  $10,000  throughout  the  year.  As 
of  April,  the  total  raised  for  the  Pride  for 
Pink  campaign  was  $14,159. 

During  the  women's  basketball  game 
in  February,  each  player  wore  a  special 
Nike  customized  pink  jersey  that  was 
auctioned  off. 

Special  Pride  for  Pink  T-shirts  were 
sold  and  donations  were  accepted  as 
Freeman  Health  System,  Hope  4  You,  the 
American  Cancer  Society  and  Zeta  Tau 
Alpha  were  on  hand  to  sell  pink  items 
and  providing  information  to  fans.  The 


department  raised  over 
$1,000  in  jersey  sales. 

In  addition  to  the 
women's  basketball  game  in  February 
and  an  April  21  softball  game  versus 
Central  Missouri,  the  following  events  in 
fall  2014  were  the  designated  pink  events 
for  each  sport:  The  First  to  the  Finish 
Southern  Stampede  on  September  20; 
Soccer  vs.  Central  Oklahoma  on  October 
23;  Volleyball  vs.  Nebraska-Kearney  on 
October  18;  and  Football  vs.  Northeastern 
State  on  October  18. 

—  Justin  Maskus,  Athletics  Media  Relations  Director 


Left,  a  young  Lion  fan  and  Roary  participate  in  a  hall  handling  drill  that  was  part  of  the  halftime  entertainment  put  on  by  Robin  Slain,  who  can  spin 
10  balls  at  one  time  and  travels  to  games  with  her  exhibition.  Center,  the  Lions  warm  up  before  the  Pink  Game.  Right,  student-athletes  show  their 
pink  and  surround  the  Missouri  Southern  campus  sign  on  Newman  Road.  —  Submitted  photos 


crossroads  / spring 20 15  30 


A  study  abroad  experience  set  in  motion 
a  career  that  began  with  the  Peace  Corps 
and  led  to  work  with  the  CDC  in  Tanzania. 


a  What  are  the  most  rewarding  aspects 
of  your  time  in  Tanzania? 

a  I  feel  like  I've  been  here  long  enough 
that  Tanzania  is  a  part  of  me  and  my  life 
story.  I'm  not  just  a  traveler  who's  been  to  a 
cool  place  on  a  safari.  I  live  here  and  have 
friends  here  and  I'm  afforded  a  richer 
understanding  of  the  culture  because  I've 
stayed  a  while  and  observed  longer.  I  was  in 
Tanzania  before  I  began  this  job,  so  in  total. 
I've  been  here  about  four  years,  nonconsecu- 
tively.  I  was  a  Peace  Corps  volunteer  in  a 
village  in  northern  central  Tanzania  from 
2005-07,  during  which  time  I  really  got  to 
know  rural  culture  and  life  here.  Then  I 
worked  for  a  refugee  legal  aid  nonprofit 
organization  during  my  master's  studies, 
where  I  got  to  see  a  whole  different  subset  of 
the  population  —  Congolese  and  Burundian 
refugees  —  and  how  they  live  in  a  country 
where  they  are  not  wanted.  Then  I  was  the 
director  of  a  small  road  safety  nongovern¬ 
mental  organization,  which  put  me  in  the 
heart  of  the  city,  interacting  with  an  urban 
population,  learning  about  life  in  this  city  of 
four  million  people.  Now  I  work  with 
highly  educated,  highly  intellectual 
individuals  who  give  me  a  whole  new  lens 
to  see  Tanzania  through.  It's  really  reward¬ 
ing  to  me  to  know  that  I  have  knowledge 
and  experience  outside  of  my  home  state, 
my  home  country.  Understanding  the 
similarities  between  Tanzania  and  the  U.S. 
makes  the  world  seem  small  and  comfort¬ 
able  to  me,  yet  also  bigger  because  there  are 
so  many  other  countries  and  cultures  out 
there  in  the  world  that  I  haven't  seen. 

a  What  are  the  greatest  challenges  in 
your  position? 

a  My  biggest  communications  task  is  to 
make  information  that  comes  from  the 
Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Preven¬ 
tion  Tanzania  as  easily  understandable  as 
possible.  This  is  difficult  when  the  infor¬ 
mation  is  highly  scientific  or  medical:  I 
don't  have  a  background  in  medicine  or 
public  health  or  statistics,  so  when  our 
scientists  and  doctors  explain  to  me  what 
needs  to  be  messaged  out  to  the  public,  it 
often  takes  several  discussions  for  me  to 


understand  exactly  what  they  mean.  That's 
half  the  battle;  the  other  half  is,  once  I 
understand  it  myself,  figuring  out  how  to 
make  it  accessible  at  a  basic  education 
level.  The  media  sometimes  reports  things 
about  CDC  or  our  partners  incorrectly  or 
out  of  context.  Once  incorrect  things  are 
printed,  though,  I  work  with  the  country 
director  to  determine  the  appropriate 
course  of  action.  Sometimes  we  work  to 
have  a  correction  issued;  other  times  we 
pick  our  battles.  On  a  personal  level,  I  miss 
my  family  a  lot.  It's  a  long  way  home  and  I 
usually  only  get  to  go  back  once  a  year.  It's 
the  biggest  hardship  of  an  otherwise  really 
cool  life  and  place  that  I  love. 

a  How  has  your  time  in  Tanzania 
impacted  your  daily  life? 

a  I've  adapted  in  lots  of  ways  that  I 
probably  don't  even  realize.  Some  of 
it's  just  the  adjustment  of  moving  from  a  big 
town  to  a  huge  city,  which  would  probably 
happen  even  if  I  lived  in  the  U.S.  I  speak 
Swahili  daily.  The  traffic  is  so  bad  here  that  I 
don't  drive,  so  I  take  taxis  or  walk  wherever 
I  go.  I  think  about  what  I  wear  depending 
on  which  part  of  the  city  Tm  in  or  where  I'm 
traveling.  I  find  that  I'm  treated  with  more 
respect  when  I  dress  modestly.  So  no  shorts, 
no  skirts  above  the  knee,  and  usually  no 
bare  shoulders.  Electricity  is  a  problem  here, 
so  I  try  to  remember  to  monitor  my  phone 
and  make  sure  I  have  a  decent  amount  of 
charge  on  it.  It's  also  expensive,  so  I 
constantly  think  about  what  I'm  doing  in 
my  house  and  how  much  electricity  I'm 
using.  Most  all  infrastructure  lags  severely 
behind  that  of  the  U.S.,  including  roads,  so 
when  I  need  to  do  anything  that  involves  a 
government  office  or  road  travel  I  prepare 
to  wait  a  long,  long  time.  I  don't  stock  up  on 
things  like  we  do  at  home.  I  buy  what  I 
need  for  a  few  days  or  the  week.  It's  not 
really  a  thing  here  to  buy  36  rolls  of  toilet 
paper  at  once.  Partly  that  has  to  do  with 
unstable  electricity:  you  don't  want  to  risk 
10  pounds  of  meat  defrosting  and  going  bad 
when  the  freezer  has  been  off  too  long 
during  the  day.  Water  also  isn't  reliable,  so  I 
think  about  how  much  I  have  available  and 


how  much  to 
conserve  when 
the  water  is 
off — I  don't  do 
laundry  on  the 
days  when  we 
don't  have 
water. 


Kate  Raum,  '02,  is  a 
communications  adviser  for 
CIS  Global,  which  provides 
consulting  services  for  the 
Centers  for  Disease  Control 
in  Tanzania.  —  Submitted  photo 


0How  did  Missouri  Southern  prepare 
you  for  your  career? 

a  I  know  the  exact  moment  that  my 
overseas  life  and  career  path  began.  I 
was  19. 1  applied  for  and  was  awarded  a 
grant  from  the  International  Studies 
Department  to  study  French  in  Orleans, 
France,  for  six  weeks  over  a  summer.  My 
family  couldn't  have  afforded  to  send  me 
there  without  it.  I  wanted  to  get  better  at 
French  and  six  weeks  didn't  sound  as  scary 
as  a  semester  away  from  home.  It  was  the 
first  time  I'd  left  home  for  so  long  and  the 
first  time  I  got  a  passport.  I  felt  comfortable 
because  I  went  with  my  French  professor. 
Dr.  Maryann  Weber,  and  a  group  of  four 
girls,  one  of  whom  I  knew  from  class.  If  it 
weren't  for  the  grant  that  I  received  to  go 
on  that  trip,  I  might  not  be  working 
internationally  today.  That's  the  beginning 
of  the  story  of  how  a  kid  from  Joplin, 
Missouri,  ends  up  working  in  Tanzania.  I'd 
be  a  great  poster  child  for  the  International 
Studies  Department.  I  had  a  handful  of 
professors  who  I  found  fascinating  in  that 
way  that  surely  happens  to  lots  of  college 
students  when  they're  exposed  to  new 
ideas  and  ways  of  thinking  for  the  first 
time.  A  few  of  them  took  an  interest  in  me 
and  my  life  path  while  I  was  a  student;  I 
developed  professional  relationships  with 
others  after  I  graduated.  They  all  influ¬ 
enced  my  professional  and  personal  life  as 
short-  and/ or  long-term  mentors:  Bob 
Markman,  David  Locher,  Richard  Miller, 
Ree  Wells  and  Conrad  Gubera. 

Kate  Raum  is  originally  from  Joplin,  Missouri.  She  has 
been  working  with  CDC  Tanzania  for  six  months  and 
is  in  charge  of  all  communication.  She  graduated  from 
Missouri  Southern  in  2002  with  a  degree  in  sociology. 

—  Bethany  Courtney,  T6 


31  crossroads  /spring 2015 


vocatio 


Alumnus  receives  Missouri  Secondary 
School  Counselor  of  the  Year  award. 


Although  a  simple  conversation 
with  this  educator  might  not  re¬ 
veal  his  true  character,  secondary 
school  counselor  Robert  Lundien,  '96,  has 
set  high  standards  for  Missouri  Southern 
graduates. 

In  2014,  Lundien  became  the  recipi¬ 
ent  of  the  Missouri  Secondary  School 
Counselor  of  the  Year  Award,  an  honor 
he  received  with  help  from  his  colleagues 
at  Staley  High  School  in  Kansas  City, 
Missouri. 

To  be  eligible  for  the  state  award,  Lun¬ 
dien  had  to  be  selected  first  at  the  district 
level,  and  the  Staley  family  was  more 
than  willing  to  support  him  through  that 
process. 

"My  principal  and  a  few  staff  mem¬ 
bers  submitted  a  nomination  to  the 
organization  for  the  local  award,"  said 
Lundien.  "I  received  that  award,  which 
then  put  me  in  the  running  for  the  state 
award." 

Many  others  also  assisted  with  the 
nomination  and  selection  process. 

"I  had  to  get  letters  of  recommenda¬ 
tion  from  students,  from  other  staff  mem¬ 
bers,  other  counselors,"  said  Lundien.  "It 
was  pretty  detailed  and  pretty  strenuous 
just  because  there  were  so  many  fine  de¬ 
tails,  and  you  had  to  make  sure  that  you 
had  everything  according  to  the  criteria 
and  the  way  they  wanted  it." 


After  going  through  the  local  process 
with  the  Greater  Kansas  City  School 
Counselors  Association,  finalists  were  re¬ 
ferred  to  the  Missouri  School  Counselors 
association  for  the  statewide  selection. 

Lundien  learned  in  August  that  he  had 
been  named  Missouri  Secondary  School 
Counselor  of  the  Year. 

He  formally  received  the  award  at  the 
state  convention  November  2-4,  2014,  at 
Tan-Tar-A  Resort  in  Osage  Beach,  Mis¬ 
souri. 

At  Staley,  Lundien  and  his  colleagues 
help  students  through  diverse  situations. 

"We  have  about  1,460  students  in  our 
high  school.  We  have  four  counselors 
and  a  gifted  coordinator,"  said  Lundien. 
"There  are  five  of  us  that  actually  do  a 
wide  variety,  anywhere  from  personal 
social  emotional  counseling  to  college 
and  career  planning.  I  would  say  we  do 
a  lot  of  the  college  and  career  planning, 
but  also  we're  available  for  a  student  in 
the  middle  of  a  crisis  or  in  the  middle  of  a 
personal  issue." 

Lundien,  who  was  drawn  to  counsel¬ 
ing  soon  after  he  graduated  from  South¬ 
ern,  is  humbled  by  his  achievement. 

"It's  overwhelming  to  think  that  I  was 
a  recipient  of  this  award  because  I  just  try 
to  come  in  and  do  a  good  job  every  day 
just  like  my  colleagues  do,"  he  said.C 

—  Jeremy  Jones,  T5 


Professional 

Counselor,  Staley  High  School, 
North  Kansas  City  School 
District,  2009  to  present 

School  Psychological  Examiner, 
Webb  City,  Missouri, School 
District,  2006-09 

Counselor/A-H  Coordinator,  Neosho 
(Missouri)  High  School,  2004-06 

Band  Director,  Music  Teacher,  Part- 
Time  Middle  School  Counselor; 
Diamond  Missouri  School 
District,  2000-04 

Middle  School  Band  Director, 
Assistant  High  School  Band 
Director,  Nevada,  Missouri, 
School  District,  1998-00 

K-12  Music  Teacher;  Liberal, 
Missouri,  School  District,  1997- 
98 

High  School  &  Middle  School  Choir 
&  Band  Teacher  Assistant; 
Seneca,  Missouri,  School 
District,  1996-97 

Education 

Specialist  in  Education  in  School 
Counseling,  Pittsburg  State 
University,  2009 

Master  of  Science  in  Secondary 
School  Counseling,  Missouri 
State  University,  2002 

Bachelor  of  Science  in  Instrumental 
Music  Education,  Missouri 
Southern  State  University,  1996 

Personal 

Lundien  enjoys  running  and  has 
completed  about  25  half 
marathons  and  three  full 
marathons. 


crossroads  ! spring 20 15  32 


EDUCATION 


Alumni  accept  awards  for  teaching 


% 

\  "7h.'  ■ 

:■ 'iV  ■ 


Wi! 


Whitney  Triplett,  '14,  (left)  and  Jordan  Hern,  '14, 
(right)  receive  awards  at  the  Missouri  Association 
of  Colleges  for  Teacher  Education  spring  conference 
in  Jefferson  City.  —  Submitted  photos 


New  educators  receive  teaching  honors 

Two  recent  Missouri  Southern  School  of 
Education  graduates  were  recognized  as  Out¬ 
standing  Beginning  Teachers  by  the  Missouri 
Association  of  Colleges  for  Teacher  Education. 

Whitney  Triplett,  '14,  a  business  education 
major,  and  Jordan  Hern,  '14,  elementary  edu¬ 
cation,  were  selected  for  the  honor. 

Triplett  teaches 
Business  Technology, 
Web  Design,  Desk¬ 
top  Publishing  and 
Introduction  to  Busi¬ 
ness  at  Seneca  High 
School. 

Hern  teaches  fifth 
grade  (including 
reading,  math,  social 
studies  and  science) 
at  Noel  Elementary. 

MACTE  accepts 
nominations  for 
the  awards  every 
two  years.  Member 
institutions  may  nominate  up  to  two  first-  or 
second-year  teachers.  The  association  requires 
feedback  from  fac¬ 
ulty,  student-teach¬ 
ing  supervisor  and 
cooperating  teacher 
during  their  student 
teaching.  A  letter 
of  recommenda¬ 
tion  from  the  hiring 
principal  regarding 

their  performance  during  their  first  year  is 
also  required. 

In  his  letter  of  support  to  the  association, 
the  Seneca  High  School  principal  wrote  that 
Triplett  "has  a  great  rapport  with  her  students, 
is  knowledgeable  in  her  subject  and  does  a 
remarkable  job  of  communicating  that  knowl¬ 
edge.  (She)  seems  to  be  beyond  her  years  in 
terms  of  her  maturity  and  abilities,  and  due  to 
her  interactions  with  students,  her  delivery  of 
material  and  her  professionalism,  one  would 
never  know  she's  a  first-year  teacher." 

Rebecca  Gallemore,  associate  professor  of 
teacher  education  at  Southern,  wrote  in  her 
support  letter  that  "Hern  is  organized,  patient, 
determined,  funny,  caring,  thorough  and 
driven  to  succeed  . . .  her  goal  is  to  make  a  dif¬ 
ference  in  her  students'  lives  and  enjoy  their 
'ah-ha  moments'  along  the  way.  Ms.  Hern 


Amanda 
Royster,  ’ll 

English  Teacher 

Wyandotte  (Oklahoma)  High  School 


will  affect  many  children  in  a  positive  way  for 
years  to  come." 

Triplett  and  Hern  received  their  awards 
during  a  luncheon  held  as  part  of  the  associa¬ 
tion's  spring  conference  in  Jefferson  City. 

Graduate  earns  Teacher  of  the  Year 

Amanda  Royster,  '11,  was  named  the  2014- 
15  Teacher  of  the  Year  for  Wyandotte  (Okla¬ 
homa)  Public  Schools. 

Royster  teaches  English  I,  II  and  Honors 
English  III  for  ninth,  10th  and  11th  grades.  She 
is  the  Student  Council  adviser  and  has  worked 
on  many  outreach  projects  helping  students  in 
need. 

"What  I  love  most  about  teaching  is  un¬ 
doubtedly  my  students  and  the  bonds  I  form 
with  them,"  Royster  told  the  Miami  News 
Record. 

"It  is  so  rewarding  to  invest  time  and 
knowledge  in  them  and  watch  them  grow  into 
young  men  and  women  with  so  much  to  offer 
the  world.  I  feel  humbled  and  blessed  to  be  a 
part  of  that  process." 

Tory  Cray,  superintendent  of  Wyandotte 
Public  Schools,  praised  Royster  for  her  pas¬ 
sion  in  the  classroom  and  desire  to  help 
students  reach  their  full  potential. 

"Our  students  are  blessed  each  day  they 
attend  her  class,"  he  said.  "She  is  what  we  are 
about  at  WPS,  and  I  am  proud  to  call  her  one 
of  our  own." 

School  of  Education  offers  new  degree 

This  spring,  the  university  received  provi¬ 
sional  approval  from  the  Missouri  Department 
of  Higher  Education  to  offer  a  new  Master  of 
Science  Degree  in  Education-School  Adminis¬ 
tration. 

The  degree,  which  was  proposed  by  the 
late  Dr.  A1  Cade,  who  also  shepherded  it 
through  the  approval  process,  is  designed 
for  pre-kindergarten  through  12th-grade 
educators  seeking  the  certification  to  become 
elementary  or  secondary  school  principals. 
Survey  data  from  area  administrators  and 
teachers  indicated  a  strong  interest  in  this 
program,  and  employment  opportunities  for 
administrators  are  expected  to  grow  over  the 
next  five  years. 

The  program  joins  the  Master  of  Science  in 
Curriculum  and  Instruction,  which  began  its 
first  cohort  in  2014. 

—  Scott  Meeker,  '98,  URM  Communications  Specialist 


'  33  crossroads  /spring 2015 


ARTS  &  SCIENCES 


Missouri  governor  tours  Reynolds 


Funding  appropriation  is  announced 

It  was  announced  in  May  that  the  Missouri 
House  passed  a  bill  that,  after  a  signature  by 
Governor  Jay  Nixon,  will  appropriate  $5.2  mil¬ 
lion  in  maintenance  and  repair  funds  for  Reyn¬ 
olds  Hall.  Also  announced  in  May  was  a  state 
grant  of  $1.5  million  for  Reynolds,  provided  that 
Missouri  Southern  raises  $1.5  million  in  matching 
funds.  This  provides  a  total  of  $8.2  million  for  the 
renovations  of  Reynolds  Hall. 

During  a  tour  of  Reynolds  Hall  on  December 
5,  2014,  Nixon  announced  he  would  request 
more  than  $5.2  million  in  funding  from  the  state 
legislature  for  renovations  to  the  building.  The 
Missouri  General  Assembly  passed  a  bill  with 
bipartisan  support  that  provided  an  additional 
bonding  capacity  of  up  to  $200  million  for  repairs 
and  renovation  projects  at  community  colleges 
and  four-year  institutions  throughout  the  state. 

After  touring  the  lab  areas,  Nixon  said  he 
hopes  the  bill  will  allow  long-overdue  projects  at 
colleges  and  universities  to  move  forward. 

"Many  of  these  projects  will  improve  facilities 
in  the  area  of  science,  math,  engineering  and 
technology  . . .  our  STEM  fields,  which  are  high- 
demand  fields  for  creating  high-paying  jobs," 
said  Nixon.  "And  that  includes  the  project  that 
university  leadership  (at  Missouri  Southern)  has 
identified  as  their  top  priority  —  renovation  of 
the  science  labs  in  Reynolds  Hall." 

Completed  in  May  1967,  Reynolds  Hall  was 
the  second  building  ready  for  occupancy  on  the 
current  Southern  campus.  An  expansion  in  1988 
nearly  doubled  its  size  (to  approximately  63,000 
square  feet)  when  a  rapid  increase  in  enrollment 
strained  the  capacity  of  the  campus. 

Coursework  offered  in  the  building  is  in  high 
demand,  as  it  provides  prerequisites  to  nursing 
and  allied  health  majors  or  is  part  of  a  major  with 
a  large  number  of  students. 


Southern  presents  Shakespeare 

Now  in  its  third  year,  the  Missouri  Shake¬ 
speare  Festival  will  bring  another  of  the  Bard's 
classic  plays  to  campus.  Southern  Theatre  will 
present  The  Tempest  at  7:30  p.m.  June  23-27,  with  a 
matinee  performance  at  2:30  p.m.  June  28. 

"The  Tempest  has  magic  and  wonderful, 
universal  themes  of  forgiveness,  reconciliation 
and  some  really  dandy  characters,"  said  Dr.  Jim 
File,  chair  of  the  theatre  department  and  director 
of  the  production.  "You've  got  court  intrigue, 
a  shipwreck  and  all  kinds  of  things  that  make 
Shakespeare  fun." 


Tickets  are  $10  and  can  be  reserved  by  calling 
the  ticket  ofhce  at  417-625-3190. 


X 


Turkish  author  visits  campus 

O.Z.  Livaneli,  one  of  Turkey's  most  prominent 
and  popular  authors,  offered  two  presentations 
and  book  signings  during  a  January  visit  to 
Missouri  Southern. 


His  2002  international 
bestseller.  Bliss,  was  se¬ 
lected  as  the  common 
read  for  the  University 
Experience  100  course 
for  the  2014-15  year. 
The  novel  tells  the 
story  of  Meryem,  a 
young  girl  sentenced 
to  death  because  she 
is  believed  to  have 
dishonored  her  family; 
Cemal,  a  soldier  who 
returns  from  fight¬ 
ing  to  find  that  he's 
been  given  the  task 
of  killing  his  cousin; 
and  Professor  Irfan,  a 
well-known  intellec¬ 
tual  in  the  midst  of  an 
existential  crisis  whose 
path  intersects  with 
the  others. 

"The  novel  was 
relatable  in  terms  of  a 
coming-of-age  experi¬ 
ence,"  said  Wendy 
McGrane,  director  of 


Missouri  Governor  Jay  Nixon  receives  a  tour  of 
Reynolds  Hall  along  with  members  of  Missouri 
Southern's  president's  council  and  the  Board  of 
Governors.  —  Photos  by  Curtis  Almeter,  '13 


Turkish  author  O.Z.  Livaneli  signs  copies  of  his  2002 
international  bestseller,  Bliss,  at  Spfva  Library. 


Spiva  Library.  "There  were  lots  of  opportunities 
to  develop  talking  points  that  were  meaningful  to 
a  range  of  students." 


Southern  offers  new  degree 

This  fall.  Southern  will  offer  a  bachelor's 
degree  in  social  work.  According  to  the  Missouri 
Department  of  Economic  Development,  Missouri 
Economic  Research  and  Information  Center,  the 
increased  demand  for  social  workers  in  Mis¬ 
souri  between  2010-20  will  range  from  12.9  to  27 
percent,  depending  on  the  area  of  employment. 
Those  interested  may  enroll  in  the  program  as  a 
social  work  applicant,  but  for  full  admission  to 
the  program,  students  need  to  have  completed  all 
their  general  education  courses  and  an  applica¬ 
tion  to  the  social  work  department. 

—  Scott  Meeker,  '98,  URM  Communications  Specialist 


■111 


1 


crossroads  / spring 20 15  3A 


35  J^ferossroads  hpnng2015 


BUSINESS 


‘Consultants’  assist  local  company 


Students  get  ‘real  life’  experience 

Students  in  a  special  strategic  management 
course  had  the  opportunity  to  work  as  busi¬ 
ness  consultants  for  H.E.  Williams,  a  Carthage, 
Missouri-based 


Michael  Maddock  (left),  Holly  Loncarich,  Trevor  Hill, 
Gar  a  Gooch  and  Craig  Yeoman  are  students  in  the 
spring. strategic  management  course  in  the  Robert  W. 
Piaster  School  of  Business.  —  Photos  by  Curtis  Almeter,  ’13 


Difjohn  Groesbeck  (right),  dean  of  the  school  of 
business,  talks  to  the  strategic  management  class  as 
Kelly  Hartley,  business  development  manager  with 
H.E.'Williams,  looks  on. 


'X:,.  The  Dev-Con  1  competition  gave  students  a  chance 
to  develop  original  software  and  mobile  apps. 


company,  which  has 
manufactured  and 
sold  lighting  fixtures 
around  the  country 
for  more  than  60 
years. 

An  early  class 
session  this  spring 
allowed  students 
to  quiz  company 
officials  on  the  types 
of  sales  force  they 
employ,  their  market¬ 
ing  message  and  sales 
strategies. 

"It's  a  class  we 
offer  every  spring," 
said  Dr.  John  Groes¬ 
beck,  dean  of  the 
school  of  business, 
who  team-teaches  the 
course  with  Dr.  Chris 
Moos.  "The  students 
have  to  apply  for 
admission  and  then 
work  as  consultants, 
focusing  on  the  com¬ 
pany's  needs.  They 
take  a  tour,  complete 
projects  for  the  com¬ 
pany  and  assess  their 
strengths,  weaknesses 
and  opportunities. 

"They  give  a  final 
presentation  in  the 
company's  board- 
room  in  front  of  their 
president  and  CEO, 
who  will  then  have 
the  opportunity  to 
engage  the  students 
and  ask  them  ques¬ 
tions." 

In  past  years,  the 


life"  business  experience  from  the  course. 

"You  get  to  work  with  a  business  and  hear 
what  they  have  to  say,"  she  said.  "And  if  we 
come  up  with  something  good,  then  they  have 
something  that  they  can  take  away  from  it." 

Phil  Slinkard,  CFO  for  H.E.  Williams,  said 
the  course  marks  the  first  time  since  he's  been 
with  the  company  that  such  a  partnership  has 
been  established.  He  said  the  semester-long 
class  could  be  a  win-win  situation  for  the  stu¬ 
dents  and  company. 

"Not  having  had  this  kind  of  interaction, 
there  are  skill  sets  that  get  lost  when  experience 
takes  over  rather  than  training,"  he  said.  "There 
are  a  lot  of  things  we  learned  in  school  that 
we've  forgotten,  so  it  will  be  good  to  get  some 
fresh  perspective." 


class  has  worked  with  Wal-Mart,  Leggett  & 
Platt  and  Con- way  Truckload. 

Elisa  Heinamaa,  a  junior  international  busi¬ 
ness  and  management  major  from  Finland,  said 
she  appreciates  the  opportunity  to  gain  "real 


Dev-Con  1  competition  launched 

This  spring,  the  Robert  W.  Plaster  School  of 
Business  sponsored  the  Dev-Con  1  competi¬ 
tion  —  a  chance  for  student  programmers  to 
develop  original  software  and  mobile  applica¬ 
tions. 

"This  was  the  inaugural  year  for  the  con¬ 
test,"  said  Sherry  Noller,  communications  and 
outreach  coordinator  for  the  school  of  business. 
"It  was  open  to  all  MSSU  students.  We  tried  to 
promote  the  development  of  innovative  ideas 
using  technology  and  offered  prizes  for  the 
mobile  app  or  software  that  was  the  most  com¬ 
mercially  viable. 

"We  wanted  to  challenge  students  to  find  a 
problem  and  develop  something  with  real- 
life  applications  to  help  solve  that  problem  . . . 
something  that  if  taken  to  the  marketplace, 
people  would  have  an  interest  in  purchasing 
it." 

Cash  prizes  were  awarded:  $2,000  for  first 
place  went  to  senior  Kayla  Monteleone,  sopho¬ 
more  Ellen  Rogers,  and  Trevor  Hailey;  $1,000 
for  second  went  to  sophomore  Travis  Lewis 
and  Matt  Eschbach;  and  $500  for  third  went 
to  junior  Kyle  Ferguson  and  Alex  Gardner. 
Students  entering  the  competition  could  work 
in  teams  and  bring  in  outside  help,  as  long  as 
the  team  was  made  up  of  at  least  50  percent 
students  enrolled  at  the  university. 

Noller  hopes  Dev-Con  will  become  an 
annual  competition  that  will  grow  in  size  and 
scope. 

"We  have  hopes  of  possibly  being  able  to 
have  other  universities  participate,"  she  said. 

—  Scott  Meeker,  '98,  URM  Communications  Specialist 


Alumna  finds  passion  at  new  Mercy 


Alum  makes  move  to  new  hospital 

It's  an  exciting  feeling,  Katie  Tinney,  '14,  said 
of  walking  through  the  halls  of  the  new  Mercy 
Hospital  Joplin. 

The  grand  opening  of  the  new,  900,000-square- 
foot  facility  in  March  was  a  milestone  for  the 
Joplin  hospital.  The  former  St.  John's  Regional 
Medical  Center  was  rocked  to  its  foundation  by 
the  EF-5  tornado  that  tore  through  Joplin  on  May 
22,  2011.  Tinney  is  one  of  several  recent  gradu¬ 
ates  of  the  nursing  program  at  Missouri  Southern 
employed  at  the  new  hospital.  She  said  she  had 
been  looking  forward  to  moving  from  Mercy's 
temporary  location  into  the  new  building  at  50th 
Street  and  Hearnes  Boulevard. 

"It's  amazing  to  finally  have  a  place  to 
call  home,"  Tinney  said.  "Everything  inside 
is  modern,  but  there  are  reminders  of  the  old 
hospital,  such  as  pieces  from  the  old  chapel 
that  have  been  used.  Tm  excited  to  be  here 
and  start  seeing  patients  again." 

An  emergency  room  nurse,  Tinney  has  been 
employed  by  Mercy  since  2007. 

"I  worked  on  the  oncology  floor  as  a  tech 
—  helping  with  daily  living  activities,  taking 
patients'  vital  signs  . . .  whatever  the  nurses 
needed,"  she  said.  "We  were  at  my  brother's 
high-school  graduation  (the  afternoon  of  the 
tornado).  My  dad  is  the  Newton  County  ambu¬ 
lance  director  and  as  we  rushed  home,  we  heard 
that  St.  John's  had  been  hit.  I  tried  to  get  to  work 
that  day  but  never  made  it.  I  was  stationed  at 
Memorial  Hall  the  next  day  in  a  temporary  unit 
set  up  there." 

The  following  year,  she  and  other  staff  mem¬ 
bers  moved  to  the  Walden  Building,  an  interim 
location  that  served  Mercy's  patients  until  the 
new  hospital  was  completed.  She  continued 
working  as  a  tech  and  then  in  a  secretarial  posi¬ 
tion  while  working  on  her  bachelor's. 

"I  found  my  passion  for  nursing  at  Missouri 
Southern  and  made  some  lasting  relationships," 
said  Tinney.  "There  were  moments  that  were 
tough,  but  we're  taking  care  of  people's  lives. 

They  made  sure  we  know  our  stuff." 

That's  the  primary  mission  for  the  program, 
said  Dr.  Lynn  Korvick,  director  of  nursing.  Grad¬ 
uates  of  MSSU  can  be  found  on  staff  at  Mercy 
and  at  Joplin's  Freeman  Health  System. 

"Joplin-area  hospitals  are  a  lifeline  for  the 
MSSU  nursing  program.  We  are  partners  in  pro¬ 
viding  excellent  clinical  learning  opportunities 
for  our  students,  who  will  one  day  be  graduates," 
Korvick  said.  "And  as  such,  many  seek  employ¬ 


Katie  Tinney,  '24,  works  at  the  new  Mercy  Hospital 
that  opened  in  March.  Tinney  has  been  employed  by 
Mercy  since  2007  and  now  serves  as  an  emergency 
room  nurse.  —  Photos  by  Curtis  Almeter,  '13 


ment  at  the  facility  where  they  had  the  most 
positive  experience." 

Helicopters  land  at  Missouri  Southern 

Students  in  Southern's  Advanced  Paramedic 
Skills  course  observed  a  demonstration  of  how 
to  establish  a  helicopter  landing  zone  on  March 
2  west  of  the  Julio  S. 

Leon  Health  Sciences 
Center. 

"Part  of  the 
requirement  from 
our  accrediting  body 
is  that  we  train  our 
paramedics  and  EMTs 
on  how  to  establish 
a  landing  zone  for 
helicopters  and  how  to 
behave  in  and  around 
them,"  said  Thad 
Torix,  EMS  instructor 
and  clinical  coordina¬ 
tor. 

The  event  allowed 

EMS  students  to  meet  with  prospective  employ¬ 
ers  and  for  emergency  services  personnel  to 
learn  about  training  opportunities  offered  at 
Southern. 

Rod  Pace  with  Air 
Methods  Corporation 
presented  a  classroom 
lecture  on  creating  and 
operating  a  landing 
zone  in  the  Julio  S. 

Leon  Health  Sciences 
Center.  Aircraft  from 
Medflight,  EagleMed 
and  Mercy  Life  Line 
then  landed  helicop¬ 
ters  outside  for  the 
demonstration. 

Students  and  the 
public  viewed  each  of  the  aircraft  and  learned 
specifics  about  each  of  the  programs.  Representa¬ 
tives  from  METS  Ambulance  Service,  the  Joplin 
Fire  Department,  the  Newton  County  Ambu¬ 
lance  District  and  Cox  Health  EMS  set  up  tables 
for  an  open  house. 

"We  wanted  to  expose  our  students  to 
potential  employers,  so  we  invited  anyone  who 
employs  paramedics  and  EMTs,"  said  Torix.  "But 
we  also  wanted  to  open  our  doors  to  these  ser¬ 
vices  to  show  them  the  training  we  offer  here." 

—  Scott  Meeker,  ’98,  URM  Communications  Specialist 


On  March  2,  EMS  students  gather  around  the 
Mercy  Life  Line  helicopter  to  observe  a  training 
demonstration. 


JACK  JOSEPH  (JJ.)  SPURLIN 


By  Bethany  Courtney,  ’16 


“I’ve  surrounded  myself  with  very  smart  people 
and  very  good  people.” 


Jack  Joseph  (JJ.)  Spurlin 

Missouri  Southern  State  University  1990  alumnus,  associate  professor 
of  criminal  justice,  and  owner  ofjfs  Woodfire  Pizza 


].].  Spurlin,  '90, 
(left),  associate 
professor  of 
criminal  justice 
and  owner  of 
JJ's  Woodfire 
Pizza  in  Webb 
City,  Missouri, 
removes  a  pizza 
from  the  brick 
oven  used  at 
the  restaurant. 
JJ's  employs 
Missouri 
Southern 
students,  who 
the  owner  credits 
with  helping  the 
business  succeed. 

—  Photo  by 
Rhonda  Clark,  ’00 


37  crossroads  f spring 20 15 


Who:  Missouri  Southern  alumnus,  bachelor's 
in  criminal  justice,  1990. 

What:  Owner  of  JJ's  Woodfire  Pizza 
How  the  business  got  started:  I  have 
always  been  motivated  by  money  and 
the  business  side  of  criminal  justice.  It's 
something  that  I  always  wanted  to  do.  I 
put  together  a  plan  with  my  parents  and 
10  college  kids  and  that’s  how  JJ’s  was 
born.  Surely,  it  was  a  series  of  the  right 
timing  and  some  accidents  that  went 
horribly  right.  We've  been  open  for  three 
years  and  it’s  going  great. 

Secret  to  Success:  I’ve  surrounded  myself 
with  very  smart  people  and  very  good 
people.  The  fact  that  my  mom  and  dad 
are  involved  so  much  and  my  family's 
involvement  has  really  been  the  key  to 
my  success.  All  of  our  staff  is  college- 
aged  kids.  They  are  very  involved  with 
the  business,  and  we  share  a  lot  with 
them  to  help  them  gain  experience. 
Greatest  Challenge:  The  greatest 
challenge  of  starting  a  business  is  how 
much  licensing,  inspections  and  up 
front  work  needs  to  be  in  place  to  open 
a  restaurant.  MSSU's  Small  Business 
&  Technology  Development  Centers 
was  a  great  resource,  and  they  told  me 
that  it  would  be  a  lot  of  work,  but  I  still 
underestimated  the  level  of  work  it  took 
to  open  a  restaurant.  I’d  say  the  biggest 
difficulty  right  now  is  trying  to  keep 
cutting-edge  and  generate  revenue  as 
more  business  comes  to  this  area.  You 
have  to  have  something  really  good  to 
make  people  want  to  spend  what  little 
money  they  have  right  now  or  just  a 
good  plan.  Trying  to  stay  ahead  of  the 
competition  is  what  poses  the  challenge, 
but  it’s  a  challenge  that  I  love. 

Advice:  If  you  want  to  open  a  restaurant, 
you  need  to  have  the  desire  to  do  it.  It 
takes  a  lot  more  than  just  a  great  recipe. 
I've  taken  chances  and  been  able  to  put 
my  own  flare  on  things. 

Southern  Memories:  The  criminal  justice 
program  is  how  I  found  my  way  back 
to  Southern.  I  knew  it  was  a  great 
program.  I  also  enjoyed  having  my  dad 
as  a  criminal  justice  professor  here  at 
Southern  and  getting  to  spend  time  with 
him. 

For  more:  Visit  www.ijspizzajoplin.com 
or  find  us  on  Facebook  and  Twitter 


Have  an  entrepreneurial  tale  to  tell?  Send  Lion  Tales 
info  to  AlumniAssoc@mssu.edu  or  call 4i‘/-6sp-LION. 

V _ _ _ J 


1^  -  1  - 


w 


Take  our  MoSo  trivia 
challenge  and  you  just 
might  qualify  to  win  a 
Samsung  Galaxy  Tab4. 
Then,  you  can  take  us 
wherever  you  go! 


^Question:  What  year  did  crassraads  transition  from 

5  ^  student  magazine  to  the  alumni  magazine  f 

If  more  than  one  entry  with  the  correct  answer  is  submitted, 
a  drawing  will  determine  the  winner  (previous  winners  cannot  enter  the  spring  contest). 

To  enter,  please  submit  your  answer  by  July  1,  2015,  to: 

AlumniAssoc@mssu.edu 

Hints  can  be  found  in  the  online  edition  of  crossroads  at 

www.mssu.edu/crossroads 

:  Fall  2014  Samsung  Galaxy  Tab4  winner:  Linda  Coop,  '67 


crassraads  f  spring 20 15  38 


ZLIFE 


Alumni  enjoy  winter 
and  spring  activities. 


Above  left,  Cameo  Harrington,  '96,  and  Director  of  Career  Services  Nicole  Brown  assist  senior  Michael  Maddock  with  selections  at  February's 
Dress  for  Success,  an  event  co-sponsored  by  the  Alumni  Association  to  help  students  select  from  donated  clothing  to  obtain  a  cost-free  outfit  for 
the  job  market.  Above  right,  Carol  Spriggs,  '83,  helps  senior  Tiffani  Nelson  with  accessories  for  her  professional  outfit.  —  Photos  by  Molly  Schons,  ’15 

Far  left,  the  first  Southern  Social  was 
held  April  7  in  the  Connor  Ballroom. 
The  event,  which  raised  funds  for 
scholarships,  included  a  fashion 
show,  had  176  in  attendance.  Left, 
Gwen  Hunt  and  Carmen  (Campbell) 
Wilke,  '84,  visit  at  the  Southern 
Social.  Tables  were  decorated  in 
themes,  and  an  auction  of  select  items 
was  also  part  of  the  evening's  events. 
After  this  year's  success.  Southern 
Social  looks  to  become  an  annual 
event.  —  Photos  by  Curtis  Almeter,  13 


Above  left,  Ashley  Eriksen,  '12,  looks  at  a  book 
for  sale  at  the  Christmas  Boutique  sponsored 
by  the  Alumni  Association  in  December.  Above 
center,  Karen  Buchanan,  '61,  enjoys  a  cup  of 
cider  at  the  boutique.  —  Photos  by  Molly  Schons,  15 
Above,  future  Lions  join  in  a  game  at  Legacy 
Day  in  November.  —  Photo  by  Meagan  Adams,  ’08 
Left,  Alumni  Director  Lee  Elliff  Found,  '86, 
and  Jordan  Baker,  senior  student  worker  for  the 
Alumni  Association,  assist  Child  Development 
Center  youths  who  came  to  the  Ralph  L.  Gray 
Alumni  Center  for  some  Christmas  fun  in 
December.  —  Photos  by  Curtis  Almeter,  '13 


39  crossroads  / spring  201 5 


ALUMNI 


r 


- \ 

LIONLOVE 


Ben,  '08,  and  Kiley 
(Aasby)  Crowe 
were  married 
on  September 
13,  2014. 

V 

r 


FUTURELIONS 


Jake,  07,  and  Rachel  Heisten 
welcomed  June  Christen  on 
October  14,  2014. 

Blake,  '02,  and  Natalie  Bard 
welcomed  Bristyn  Paige  on 
November  4,  2014.  She  joins 
big  brother,  Ayden  Blake,  and  big 
sister,  Brinkley  Shae. 

Grant  Thompson,  '14,  and  Kallie 
Thurlo 
welcomed 
Greyson 
Andrew  on 
October  29, 

2014. 

V _ y 


Have  something  you  want  to  share 
with  your  fellow  alumni? 

Send  us  your  information. 

Missouri  Southern  Alumni  Association 
3950  East  Newman  Road 
Joplin,  MO  64801 

or  via  email,  AlumniAssoc@mssu.edu 


find  us  on 
facebook! 


Follow  us  on 

buiifcter^ 


Trivia  Answer 

Crossroads  began  as  a  yearbook  in 
1939.  The  yearbook  converted  to  a 
student  magazine,  Crossroads:  The 
Magazine,  in  fall  1993.  The  first  issue  of 
crassraads  as  the  alumni  magazine 
premiered  in  fall  2006,  and  it  has 
consistently  been  published  each  spring 
and  fall  semester  since  spring  2009. 
Submit  your  winning  answer  via  email 
to:  AlumniAssoc@mssu.edu 


CLASSNOTES 


- 70s - 

Vicki  (Steere)  Nelson,  '77,  graduated  with 
Missouri  Southern’s  first  dental  hygiene  class 
and  is  a  hygienist  in  Hutchinson,  Kansas. 

Harry  Berry,  '78,  was  re-elected  to  a  fourth 
term  as  judge-executive  in  Hardin  County, 
Kentucky.  He  was  first  elected  in  2003. 

Ken  Godfrey,  '78,  was  recognized  by  Jasper 
(Missouri)  High  School  with  his  name  placed  on 
a  multipurposes  FEMA  gymnasium  in  his  honor. 

- ’80s - 

Angela  (Adamo)  Comstock,  '81,  is  an 
occupational  therapist  and  owner  of  Living 
Water  OT  in  Joplin,  Missouri. 

Theresa  (Houlihan)  Block,  '82,  is  director 
corporate  environmental  affairs  at  Leggett  & 
Platt  Inc.  in  Carthage,  Missouri. 

Kayla  (Hoffman)  Pekarek,  '84,  is  marketing 
coordinator  for  Adelmo  Family  Care  in  Joplin. 
Julia  Fahrig,  '86,  has  retired  from  teaching 
in  northern  New  York  state  but  continues 
to  substitute  teach  and  remains  active  as 
a  member  of  the  New  York  State  Retired 
Teachers.  Julia  holds  a  master's  in  education 
and  counseling  and  human  development  from 
St.  Lawrence  University  in  Canton,  New  York. 
JoAnn  (Hollis)  Graffam,  '87,  was  named 
senior  director  of  donor  engagement  for 
Wichita  State  University  in  Wichita,  Kansas. 
Roger  A.  Johnson,  '87,  was  named  2015 
Lawyer  of  the  Year  by  Best  Lawyers. 

- ’90s^ 

Patti  Steere,  '90,  is  a  perfusionist  at  Mercy 
Hospital  in  Joplin,  Missouri. 

Michelle  (Mitchell)  Fichtner,  '91,  is  a 
physical  therapist/athletic  trainer  for  Freeman 
Rehabilitation  and  Sports  Center  in  Joplin, 
Missouri.  She  is  married  to  Darren  Fichtner 
and  they  own  DM  Landscaping.  They  have  four 
daughters. 

Dr.  Brad  Hodson,  '91,  is  the  executive  vice 
president  of  Missouri  Southern  State  University 
and  executive  director  of  the  Missouri  Southern 
Foundation. 

Stephanie  (Lyons)  Willis,  '94,  is  a  real  estate 
agent  for  Realty  Executives  Tri  State  in  Joplin, 
Missouri.  She  and  her  husband,  Dominic,  form 
the  ‘Willis  Team.” 

Matthew  “Scott”  Donaldson,  '96,  is  the 
assistant  vice  president  of  student  affairs 


and  director  of  recruiting  at  Northeastern 
Oklahoma  A&M  College  in  Miami,  Oklahoma. 
Phill  Johnson,  '98,  has  accepted  the  position 
of  dean  at  Auburn  University  in  Alabama.  He 
will  begin  this  new  venture  in  February  2015. 

— m — 

Karisa  Boyer,  '01,  a  science  teacher  at  Joplin 
High  School,  was  a  finalist  for  the  Missouri 
Teacher  of  the  Year  award. 

Suzanne  McCulley,  '01,  is  the  assembly 
manager  at  H.E.  Williams  Inc.  in  Carthage, 
Missouri. 

Jennifer  Tyler,  '01,  is  associate  director 
of  development  for  the  University  of  Florida 
College  of  Health  and  Human  Performance  in 
Gainesville,  Florida. 

Jason  Northern,  '02,  is  the  senior 
development  officer  at  Missouri  University  of 
Science  and  Technology  in  Rolla,  Missouri. 
Karen  Wade,  '08,  is  an  adjunct  professor  at 
Crowder  College  and  earned  her  master  of 
library  science  from  Emporia  State  University 
in  December  2014. 

Evan  Jewsbury,  '09,  is  the  human  resources 
director  at  Missouri  Southern  State  University. 
Attila  Okner,  '09,  is  the  chief  operating  officer 
at  Innovative  Objects  in  Joplin,  Missouri. 

- "lOs - 

Heather  (Walton)  Webb,  '11,  is  the 
environmental  director  for  Miami  Nation 
Environmental  in  Miami,  Oklahoma. 

Nicole  Nelson,  '11,  is  a  second-generation 
dental  hygienist  who  is  practicing  in  California. 
Dominic  Willis,  '11,  is  a  bookkeeper  at  Auto 
Insurance  Express  and  works  as  a  real  estate 
agent  with  his  wife,  Stephanie  Willis,  '94. 

Sara  Cavener,  '13,  is  the  assistant  store 
manager  of  the  Follett  Higher  Education 
Group-University  of  West  Florida  Bookstore  in 
Pensacola,  Florida. 

Meagan  (Terry)  Spangler,  13,  is  the  public 
relations  director  for  the  Neosho  R-5  School 
District  in  Neosho,  Missouri. 

Mallory  Fuller,  '14,  is  a  staff  tax  accountant  II 
at  Leggett  &  Platt  Inc.  in  Carthage,  Missouri. 
Natasha  Ohmart,  '14,  is  a  first  grade  teacher 
for  Concordia  R-2  Schools  in  Concordia, 
Missouri 

Cornelius  “Casey”  Zippro,  14,  is  working  in 
IT  sales  in  Chicago,  Illinois. 

—  Reports  from  MSSU  Alumni  Association  office 


crossroads /sprmg 201^  40 


MEMORIAM 


JOPLIN  JUNIOR  COLLEGE 

James  M.  Longan 
October  4,  2014 
Dorothy  M.  Peters 
October  18,  2014 
Emory  D.  Schaefer 
November  1,  2014 
Julius  J.  Rosewicz 
November  14,  2014 
Jerry  D.  Cobble 
December  6,  2014 
William  C.  Troutman 
December  15,  2014 
Dr.  George  E.  Fay 
January  8,  2015 
Laurence  H.  Flanigan 
February  9,  2015 

MISSOURI  SOUTHERN 

Michael  J.  Mitchell 

October  9,  2014 

John  B.  Korns 

October  21,  2014 

Patricia  Lynn  Shaw-Schneller 

October  24,  2014 

Shirley  A.  Wright 

November  2,  2014 

Karen  (Porpoth)  Sisco 

January  13,  2015 


-  INMEMORIAM 

Bobbie  J.  Campbell 

January  17,  2015 

1940s 

Cleo  Lucille  Wadkins,  ’41 

January  28,  2015 

Hon.  George  Flanigan,  ’43 

December  23,  2014 

1950s 

Joanna  E.  (Mathiews)  Green,  ’54 

September  14,  2014 

Robert  Bolen,  ’50 

November  29,  2014 

1960s 

Steven  C.  Sandy,  ’62 

September  14,  2014 

1970s 

Tom  Sandtorf,  ’71 

January  14,  2015 

James  L.  Cullum,  ’71 

October  4,  2014 

Rebecca  J.  Cunningham,  ’73 

September  15,  2014 

Edith  “Edie”  Nicholson,  ’75 

October  27,  2014 


Southern  remembers  friends, 


FRIENDS  OF  SOUTHERN 
Edwin  Gene  Denham,  82,  died  August  20, 
2014,  in  Joplin,  Missouri.  He  was  born  May 
18, 1932,  to  Edwin  and  Pearl  Denham.  They 
lived  in  Branson,  Missouri,  before  mov¬ 
ing  to  Joplin.  Gene  attended  Joplin  schools 
and  graduated  in  1949.  In  1952,  he  married 
Virginia  Quigg  before  leaving  for  the  U.S. 

Air  Force.  After  basic  training,  they  settled 
in  Denver,  Colorado,  where  Gene  was 
stationed  at  Lowry  Air  Force  Base.  After  his 
tour  of  duty.  Gene  attended  the  University 
of  Missouri,  obtaining  a  Bachelor  of  Science 
in  accounting.  After  working  in  Jefferson 
City,  Missouri,  and  Fayetteville,  Arkansas, 
he  was  transferred  to  Joplin  and  was  made 
partner  in  the  firm  later  to  be  known  as 
Myers,  Baker,  Rife  and  Denham,  where  he 
worked  for  43  years.  Gene  was  member  and 
president  of  the  Southwest  Chapter  of  the 
Missouri  Society  of  Certified  Public  Accoun¬ 
tants,  member  and  president  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Missouri  Society  of  Certified 
Public  Accountants,  and  member  and  past 
president  of  the  Missouri  State  Board  of  Ac¬ 
countancy.  He  served  on  the  board  of  Oak 
Hill  Hospital  and  Freeman  Hospital.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Joplin  Kiwanis  Club, 


the  Roughneck  Club  and  the  Elks  Club.  He 
was  a  Lionbacker  and  loved  the  basketball 
games  and  the  spirit  band.  Gene  served  on 
the  Board  of  Directors  of  Cerebral  Palsy  of 
Tri-County  for  over  40  years,  was  treasurer 
of  the  Kiwanis  Club  for  several  years,  and 
was  on  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Joplin 
Public  Library.  He  was  a  member  of  the  First 
United  Methodist  Church  of  Joplin.  Survi¬ 
vors  include  his  wife,  two  daughters,  a  son 
and  five  grandchildren.  He  was  preceded  in 
death  by  his  parents. 

Anthony  Ralph  Kassab,  88,  died  November 
25, 2014,  in  Joplin,  Missouri.  He  was  born 
July  24, 1926,  in  Joplin  to  Ralph  and  Lillian 
Kassab.  He  graduated  in  1944  from  Joplin 
High  School  and  then  trained  with  the  U.S. 
Army  Air  Corps  as  a  bomber  crewman.  He 
was  discharged  at  the  end  of  World  War  11. 
After  attending  Joplin  Junior  College,  he 
enrolled  at  Missouri  University  and  joined 
the  Sigma  Nu  Fraternity.  After  graduation, 
he  joined  his  brother,  Leon  Kassab,  in  the 
family  business  "Kassab,"  a  business  on 
Joplin's  Main  Street  for  92  years.  Anthony 
was  involved  in  several  civic  organizations, 
including  Rotary  Club,  director  of  United 
Missouri  Bank,  and  on  the  Board  of  Regents 


John  P.  (Johnson)  McCoy,  ’77 

January  16,  2015 

1980s 

Lee  Anne  (Fairchild)  Sweezy,  ’80 

January  29,  2015 

Norma  J.  Carlin,  ’81 

February  8,  2015 

David  E.  Percy,  ’87 

November  26,  2014 

1990s 

Steve  J.  Phelps,  ‘93 

December  1,  2014 

Teresa  L.  Byrd,  ’94 

October  15,  2014 

Stephanie  A.  (Lugenbell)  Kerby,  ’95 

October  2,  2014 

Kristopher  M.  Ralston,  ’99 

January  25,  2015 

2000s 

Mitchell  L.  Christy,  ’01 

September  27,  2014 

2010s 

Harold  D.  Denham,  ’13 

October  24,  2014 


faculty,  staff 

at  MSSU.  He  is  survived  by  his  wife  of  61 
years,  Maridan,  four  daughters,  and  12 
grandchildren.  He  was  preceded  in  death 
by  his  parents  and  a  daughter,  brother  and 
sister. 

Kenneth  (Kenny)  James  Royer  died 
December  27, 2014.  He  was  born  on  April 
24, 1939,  in  Carthage,  Missouri,  to  Harold 
Aquilla  Royer  and  Ella  Faye  (Baumann) 
Royer  and  was  the  eldest  of  five  children. 

His  family  moved  to  Joplin  and  he  attended 
Joplin  schools  and  graduated  in  1957. 

He  married  Karen  Lee  Bagby  on  Decem¬ 
ber  3, 1976,  in  Miami,  Oklahoma.  Kenny 
worked  as  a  caddy  and  then  progressed  to 
the  pro  shop  at  Twin  Hills  Country  Club  in 
Joplin,  where  he  learned  to  play  and  love 
the  game  of  golf.  He  worked  for  TAMKO, 
Medlin  Tire  and  Bandag  G&H  in  Spring- 
dale,  xmtil  he  and  his  wife,  Karen  opened 
Royer  Tire  Service  on  April  1, 1977.  He 
continued  to  work  at  Royer  until  his  health 
forced  him  to  retire  in  2013.  Kenny  was  an 
avid  St.  Louis  Cardinals  fan  and  a  Lionback¬ 
er.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Sunrise 
Optimist  Club  until  it  disbanded.  He  is 
survived  by  his  wife,  two  sons,  two  daugh¬ 
ters,  seven  grandchildren,  and  two  great- 


41  crossroads  I  spring  20 15 


MEMORIAM 


grandchildren.  He  was  preceded  in  death  by 
his  parents,  a  sister  and  two  brothers. 

FACULTY  AND  STAFF 

Linda  Anne  Parrish  Henderson,  64,  died 

October  16,  2014,  in  Joplin,  Missouri. 

She  was  born  April  9, 1950,  in  Joplin,  and 
lived  in  the  Joplin  area  most  of  her  life.  She 
was  a  1968  graduate  of  Carterville  High 
School  and  valedictorian  of  her  class.  She 
attended  Missouri  Southern  State  Univer¬ 
sity  and  worked  at  MSSU  for  35  years  in 
the  library.  Linda  was  a  member  of  the  First 
Christian  Church  of  Webb  City.  Survivors 
include  a  son,  her  mother,  Tillie  Parrish;  two 
brothers,  one  sister,  and  two  granddaugh¬ 
ters.  She  was  preceded  in  death  by  her 
father,  Fred  Parrish,  and  a  brother. 

Francis  “Joe”  Sims  died  October  24, 2014. 
He  was  born  on  August  29, 1922,  and  was  a 
professor  of  music  at  Southwestern  College, 
in  Winfield,  Kansas,  and  later  at  Missouri 
Southern  State  University,  where  he  taught 
voice,  choir  and  other  music  courses.  Joe 
was  active  as  a  tenor  soloist  and  as  a  church 
director  of  music.  He  received  many  honors 
as  an  educator.  He  served  in  the  Navy  dur¬ 
ing  World  War  II  and  the  Korean  Conflict. 

He  is  survived  by  a  sister,  seven  children,  11 
grandchildren  and  11  great-grandchildren. 
He  was  preceded  in  death  by  his  first  wife, 
Ruth  (Reschke)  Sims;  second  wife,  Erma 
(Oldham)  Sims;  a  brother  and  a  grandson. 
Don  E.  Plummer,  85,  died  October  22,  2014, 
in  Joplin,  Missouri.  He  was  born  June  11, 
1929,  in  rural  Lawrence  County,  to  Verlie 
Plummer  and  Bernice  (Yant)  Plummer. 

He  graduated  from  Lockwood  (Missouri) 
High  School  in  1947.  He  farmed  the  home 
place,  worked  at  Goodman  Church  Build¬ 
ers,  and  worked  at  MSSU  for  over  15  years, 
retiring  in  1992  as  head  of  maintenance.  He 
served  in  the  Army  during  the  Korean  War 
and  was  a  member  of  The  American  Legion 
Post  588,  Red  Oak.  He  was  a  sports  fan  and 
big  supporter  of  the  MSSU  Lions,  Chicago 
Bears  and  L.A.  Dodgers.  He  was  preceded 
in  death  by  his  parents  and  two  sisters.  He  is 
survived  by  numerous  nephews,  nieces  and 
other  family  and  friends. 

Dr.  Betty  J.  Ipock,  84,  died  December  29, 
2014,  in  Grove,  Oklahoma.  Betty  was  born 
on  August  15, 1930,  in  Clinton,  Missouri,  to 
Alfred  E.  and  Beryl  (Starks)  Dickman.  She 
attended  high  school  in  Marshfield,  Mis¬ 
souri  and  earned  a  diploma  in  nursing  from 
St.  Luke's  Hospital  School  of  Nursing  in 


Kansas  City,  Missouri,  then  later  a  bache¬ 
lor's  in  nursing  from  Drury  College,  Spring- 
field,  Missouri;  a  master's  in  psychiatric 
nursing  from  the  University  of  Oklahoma; 
and  a  doctorate  in  nursing  and  psychology 
from  Oklahoma  State  University.  She  was 
director  of  nursing  at  Carlsbad  Memorial 
Hospital,  Carlsbad,  New  Mexico,  before 
marrying  Curtis  L.  Ipock  in  December  of 
1951  and  moving  to  Oklahoma.  Betty  was  a 
nursing  supervisor  at  Miami  Baptist  Hospi¬ 
tal  in  Miami,  Oklahoma;  established  and  ran 
Moccasin  Bend  Ranch  in  Miami;  served  on 
the  staff  at  Lafayette  House  in  Joplin,  Mis¬ 
souri;  taught  nursing  at  NEO  A&M  College 
in  Miami;  served  as  director  of  the  depart¬ 
ment  of  nursing  at  Missouri  Southern  State 
University,  and  taught  nursing  at  Crowder 
College  in  Neosho  and  for  Northeast  Area 
Vo-Tech  School.  Betty  established  the  Court 
Appointed  Special  Advocates  Program  for 
the  13th  Judicial  District.  She  volunteered 
at  the  Christian  Medical  Clinic,  ran  a  mass 
immunization  clinic  for  Homeland  Security 
and  worked  for  FEMA  counseling  flood 
survivors  in  the  Miami,  Oklahoma,  area.  She 
was  preceded  in  death  by  her  parents,  her 
husband  and  two  brothers.  She  is  survived 
by  three  sons;  five  grandchildren;  and  sev¬ 
eral  great-grandchildren. 

Margaret  Ann  Jeffcott,  87,  Neosho, 
Missouri,  died  January  17,  2015,  after  an 
extended  illness.  She  was  born  April  9, 1927, 
in  Joplin,  Missouri.  She  married  Truman 
Jeffcott  on  July  2, 1949.  He  preceded  her  in 
death  in  2010.  She  is  also  preceded  in  death 
by  a  brother.  Margaret  Ann  graduated  from 
SMS  in  1949  and  later  earned  a  master's  in 
education  from  Pittsburg  State.  She  began 
her  teaching  career  in  Webb  City,  Missouri, 
and  in  1955,  was  employed  by  Joplin  Junior 
College  as  an  instructor  of  girl's  physical 
education.  She  became  the  first  supervi¬ 
sor  of  elementary  PE  for  the  Joplin  School 
District,  a  position  she  held  for  27  years. 

She  was  also  instrumental  in  promoting  the 
Special  Olympics  program  for  students.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Neosho  First  Chris¬ 
tian  Church.  Margaret  is  survived  by  three 
daughters,  one  son,  eight  grandchildren, 
and  seven  great-grandchildren. 

Dr.  Alfred  R.  Cade,  dean  of  the  Missouri 
Southern  School  of  Education,  died  Febru¬ 
ary  21,  2015.  Born  July  15, 1960,  in  Kansas 
City,  Missouri,  he  would  go  on  to  pursue 
two  of  his  life's  passions  following  high 
school  —  education  and  football.  A1  received 


a  bachelor's  in  education  (health  and  physi¬ 
cal  education)  in  1983  and  a  master's  in 
education  (health  and  physical  education) 
in  1985,  both  from  Northwest  Missouri  State 
University.  He  completed  his  doctorate  of 
education  in  2001  from  St.  Louis  University. 
He  joined  Southern  in  1984  as  a  physical 
education  instructor  and  assistant  football 
coach.  In  1993,  he  returned  to  Northwest 
as  a  physical  education  instructor  and  a 
year  later  began  teaching  at  Minnesota 
State  University-Mankato.  He  returned  to 
Southern  in  1996  as  assistant  to  the  dean 
of  the  school  of  education.  He  served  as 
chair  of  the  department  of  teacher  educa¬ 
tion  from  2005-12,  when  he  was  appointed 
interim  dean  and  then  dean  of  the  school 
of  education.  He  was  faculty  adviser  for 
the  Southern  IMPACT  program  and  helped 
develop  the  campus'  diversity  committee, 
which  sponsors  the  annual  Martin  Luther 
King  Day  of  Service.  He  served  on  the  Mis¬ 
souri  Association  of  Colleges  for  Teacher 
Education,  Missouri  Advisory  Council  of 
Certification  for  Educators,  and  was  vice 
president  and  president  for  the  Missouri 
Association  for  Blacks  in  Higher  Educa¬ 
tion  for  seven  years.  In  Joplin,  he  served 
on  boards  with  the  Boys  &  Girls  Clubs  of 
Southwest  Missouri,  the  Joplin  Human 
Rights  Commission  and  Schools  &  Com¬ 
munity  Facilities  Committee,  the  Miracle 
League  of  Joplin,  and  the  Southwest  Center 
for  Educational  Excellence,  and  the  annual 
George  Washington  Carver  Art  and  Essay 
Contest,  which  the  university  co-sponsored 
with  the  Carver  Birthplace  Association. 

He  was  also  involved  with  the  Joplin  Area 
Special  Olympics,  Joplin  Chamber  of  Com¬ 
merce  Golden  Apple  Teacher  Award  Selec¬ 
tion  Committee  and  the  Langston  Hughes 
Celebration  Committee.  In  2013,  he  received 
the  Distinguished  Alumni  Award  from 
Northwest,  where  he  was  also  inducted 
into  the  Northwest  Athletic  Hall  of  Fame 
in  2003.  In  2014,  he  was  elected  to  the  ex¬ 
ecutive  board  for  the  Missouri  Association 
of  Colleges  for  Teacher  Education,  as  well 
as  vice-chairman  for  the  Missouri  Council 
of  Education  Deans.  He  is  survived  by  his 
wife,  Dorothy,  and  children  Christopher 
and  Keisha  Smith;  his  mother,  Marie  Cade; 
and  five  grandchildren  Brant  Smith,  Alyssa 
Smith,  Destini  Smith,  Christopher  Smith, 
and  Jalynn  Smith- Ward.  He  was  preceded 
in  death  by  his  father,  Alfred  Cade. 

—  In  memoriam  current  as  of  February  23,  2015 


crossroads  ! spring 20 15  42 


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For  more  information,  please  contact 
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